Robeson school board approves interim superintendent contract, sets search-firm interviews

The Public Schools of Robeson County board unanimously approved a personnel report and an interim superintendent contract at a special call meeting on June 25, 2006. The motion to approve the contract was made by Mr. Bradley Phillips and seconded by Mr. Henry Brewer and passed with all members voting in favor.

Dr. Harrison, who will serve as interim superintendent, thanked the board and described his priorities for the role. "My vision for any school system ... is that every child gets up and goes to school not because they have to, but because they want to," Dr. Harrison said, adding that he and the board are aligned on the district strategic plan and on supporting teachers and students.

Board member Richard Schwarz distributed summaries of proposals from five superintendent-search consultant firms — BWP; HYA; Ray and Associates; McPherson & Jacobson; and the North Carolina School Boards Association — highlighting base fees, estimated total costs and replacement guarantees. Schwarz said the proposals should be reviewed and the firms interviewed before a selection is made. "What I'm going to recommend is that you review all of this ... and interview these different search firms," he said, suggesting 20-minute interview slots.

The board set a date to review search consultants on July 14 at 4:00 p.m., with the regular meeting to begin at 6:00 p.m. Schwarz noted firms' fee examples in the packet: BWP lists a base fee of $27,500 (estimated total up to $45,988); HYA's proposal listed a base of $38,700 (estimated total up to $48,100); and the North Carolina School Boards Association proposed a base fee of $19,900. Board members agreed to schedule the interviews and to examine the proposals ahead of the July 14 meeting.

Separately, the board adopted procedures for a public hearing to gather community input on naming the Career and Technical Education Center (the board’s materials referenced the facility as the Career and Technical Education Center and included the planetarium). The proposed hearing was scheduled for July 9 at the Lumberton Junior High School auditorium, with an expanded comment period from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. and public sign-up either online or in-person from 4:30 to 5:25 p.m. Individuals are asked to list name and address and are limited to three minutes; groups are encouraged to designate a single spokesperson. The board emphasized that no final action would be taken during the public hearing and that the matter could be placed on a subsequent agenda.

The board also voted to revise board policy 2300 to clarify meeting-notice procedures and to add flexibility to the schedule of regular monthly meetings (regular meetings proposed for 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday, "unless the board determines otherwise"). Mr. Craig Lowry moved to adopt the revisions; Mr. Henry Brewer seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

The meeting concluded after routine closing motions and adjournment. The board recorded unanimous votes on the personnel report, the interim superintendent contract, the public-hearing rules and the policy 2300 revisions.