Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Administration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Forest Hills board accepts treasurer's resignation and approves separation and consulting agreements
Summary
After an executive session, the Forest Hills Local School District board voted unanimously to accept treasurer Alana Cropper's resignation and approved a release and separation agreement plus a consulting contract. The decision followed months of internal review and prompted questions from some trustees about transparency and process.
The Forest Hills Local School District Board of Education voted unanimously to accept the resignation of treasurer Alana Cropper and to approve a related release-and-separation agreement and a consulting contract, the board announced after returning from executive session.
The action was placed on the agenda following the meeting's executive session. The board recorded its vote after the executive session: Mrs. Stewart yes, Sarah Jonas yes, Dr. Simmons yes, Dr. Strickler yes and Mr. Bibb yes. The motion approved the release and separation agreement, the consulting contract and accepted Cropper's resignation "upon execution," according to the motion language presented in open session.
Board discussion before the vote included concerns raised by trustees about process and transparency. One trustee said she had not been provided with the documents prior to the meeting and asked for public explanation; another said she had been told the decision not to renew the treasurer's contract had been discussed among several trustees for months. Multiple trustees said they would not discuss personnel matters in public beyond the formal action; one board member noted the board's obligation to avoid public disclosure of certain HR details.
Cropper, who served as the district treasurer, told trustees in public comment that she had been informed that three board members were not in favor of her continuing; she indicated she had been offered choice between resignation or nonrenewal. Board members and others in the meeting referenced the treasurer's long career and the office's recent honors: during the meeting staff announced the district had again qualified for the state auditor's award for financial reporting.
Some trustees asked that the public be given more information about the board's rationale; others responded that legal counsel and HR considerations limited what they could disclose in public.
The separation package includes a consulting contract that the board said would provide transition services; the exact dollar amounts and detailed terms of the agreement were provided to trustees in executive session and were not read aloud during public session. Board members said the district will engage interim or replacement financial leadership under terms the board will set with district administration and outside counsel.
The board concluded the vote and moved on to adjournment. Trustees said they planned to discuss personnel evaluation timelines and related policies at a future meeting.
