D-2 Violating Board Policy?
By Target 13 Investigative Reporter Tak Landrock t.landrock@krdo.comFollow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/taklandrock
COLORADO SPRINGS – The D-2 school board approved a controversial policy in the Harrison School District. It’s known as the coherent governance policy, which had its third and final reading on Tuesday night.Board member Victor Torres was the lone no vote.Mr. Torres told those attending the special board meeting Tuesday night, “I can’t and will not trust the people sitting to the right of me,” referring to four board members and Superintendent Mike Miles.
“I’ve been called rogue andvindictive over the past several weeks by the people I trusted,” says Mr. Torres. He feels he’s being “left out of the loop” by fellow board members because he was against the coherent governance policy, which would streamline 300 board policies into 29. Superintendent Mike Miles will make the decision on which board policies to eliminate, something Mr. Torres feelswill giveSuperintendent Miles too much power.
“It’s not over, we still can fight,” Mr. Torres told TARGET 13. “Everyone who hears the sound of my voice I need your help; I am standing here by myself, they are Goliath and I’m David,” describing fellow board members and Superintendent Miles.
Mr. Torres alleges the passing of the coherent governance policy, which cost taxpayers more than $54,000, was illegally done. “It was a clear cut violation of policy. I quoted policy; policy was very specific during a work session. We voted during a work session.”
He says the vote needed to happen during a regular board meeting. Mr. Torres feels because the vote to approve a contract to the Aspen Group happened during a work session, it invalidates the contract and the vote to approve the coherent governance policy.
D-2 Board President Deborah Hendrix deferred TARGET 13 questions to D-2 Spokesperson Jennifer Sprauge. We asked Ms. Sprauge whether or not the board violated its own policy in Tuesday night’s vote. “I don’t have the details on any of that so I can’t comment on that,” says Ms. Sprauge. She felt the board has worked within the means of “their legal rights and the board has been and always is careful of all things legal.”
She adds, “regardless of the issues between the board president and the board; this board cares about kids in the district and cares about teachers and jobs and the welfare of the district.”
There are new questions about how the board is operating. Mr. Torres announced the board’s plan to review Superintendent Miles’ contract this weekend. The executive session won’t happen in Colorado Springs, but rather in Chicago, Illinois.
According to Mr. Torres this has been a common practice over the last three years. The executive session will take place as the board attends a National School Board Conference starting on Saturday.
Mr. Torres tells TARGET 13 the executive meeting will have four board members in attendance. Mr. Torres decided not to attend because of the cost to taxpayers. The review of Mr. Miles will determine whether or not he will get a pay raise and or bonus, which could increase his salary and perks to greater than$220,000 a year.
We will continue to track this story on NEWSCHANNEL 13 and krdo.com
