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Residents press Conway board on transparency, hiring and district priorities during public comment
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Summary
Three public commenters urged more transparency, questioned a new director position and raised objections to recent contracting and settlement handling; commenters asked the board to prioritize classroom needs and account for communications with the public.
Conway — During public comment at the Conway School District board meeting, three patrons raised transparency concerns, questioned a newly posted director position and urged the board to prioritize classroom supports over central-office hires.
Alice Hardy (speaker 12), identified by the board as the first patron, framed transparency as a fundamental obligation and said she had sent 21 emails to the seven-member board and received only two responses. "Transparency means operating openly, honestly, and in a way the public can see, understand, and trust," she said, urging equal access to records and opposing "backroom decision making."
Tyler Moses (speaker 13) said teachers are stretched and questioned the decision to fill a role titled "director of strategic innovation and partnerships" after the board previously discussed streamlining. "How do you backfill a position that was supposedly cut in an effort to fund our classrooms better?" Moses asked, urging board members to explain the apparent contradiction and to focus on classroom priorities such as counselors and functioning Chromebooks.
A third patron, Jimmy Kevin (speaker 14), alleged improper behind-the-scenes decision-making in a separate matter involving attorney Jay Beckett and questioned consulting payments. He told the board, "If we need the taxpayers to fund the need to pay consultant $9,000 a month to guide and lead our administration and board ... we need a new administration and board," and urged nonrenewal of some contracts. The chair repeatedly reminded the speaker of the time limit.
Board chair (speaker 1) and other board members did not debate commenters during the public-comment period; the board later addressed staffing and the director role during an information item and clarified that some positions were vacated earlier in the year and are now being refilled with a rebranded title, a point made by Dr. Bryce Bennett during the information section.
What’s next: Board members said staffing decisions and the strategic-role refill will appear in the information and personnel items for review and action in subsequent meetings.
