Cape school board members say they haven't discussed a situation where students were ordered off a bus Jan. 12 by a lone school board member.
A former Cape school board member has called for censure of a sitting board member for ordering students off a school bus a few weeks ago.
"I've never heard anything like this happening before," said former school board member Dean Dey. "I've heard stories about this type of micro-management, but I can't point to any specific cases like that."
On Jan. 12, board member Sandi Minard told about 50 Mariner Middle School students to get off their bus during afternoon dismissal saying she was concerned about their safety. She previously had said she had concerns with the bus driver, who was removed from the district bus route that day and hasn't driven for the district since. She reserved further comment calling it a personnel issue.
The bus driver later said he believed he was removed because of a YouTube video he posted as part of an anti-bullying campaign. Minard would neither confirm nor deny whether the YouTube video was the issue. A Google search of the bus driver, Tighmir Sayles, revealed a number of internet postings attributed to Sayles, some sexually suggestive. In a previous interview, Sayles, 19, said he knew he had postings floating around the internet, some dating back to when he was in middle school.
Minard said she acted as a parent and school board member when she removed the students from the bus.
Her action, however, could be subject to censure by the school board, Dey said.
A censure would be a verbal reprimand by the school board and hold no weight other than that, he said.
"It's a way for the board to say publicly that this behavior is something that shouldn't have happened," Dey said.
A school board censure is also rare.
Camilla Conlon has served on the board for 14 years and can't recall one ever issued.
"I don't have any memory of any board member being censured for anything," she said.
Nor is she aware of any movement by the board to issue a censure, Conlon said.
Board members Noble Prettyman, Spencer Brittingham and Roni Posner and board Vice President Andy Lewis all said the board has not discussed the bus issue and declined to comment further.
"I can't discuss that with you because we'll have to do that as a board," Posner said.
School board President Sara Wilkinson said she believes Minard acted as a parent when she removed students from the bus.
Wilkinson said school board members have a duty to follow policy and procedure, and it would have to be a board decision to move forward with any kind of reprimand against her.
"We don't get added powers because we're school board members," she said. "I never agree with anyone usurping power."
The board of education met Thursday, Feb. 9, in executive session for a mid-year review of Superintendent Kevin Carson. It was unclear whether the board discussed Minard's removal of students from the bus.
Department of Education spokeswoman Alison Kepner said the state has no rules regulating the actions of local school board members. Matters of that sort are decided locally, she said.
http://capegazette.villagesoup.com/n...-of-one/205486
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Originally Posted by TattdMom
I couldn't find the original article that I had posted about this. You share my thoughts..A 19 y.o. school bus driver.I do think it was beyond the scope of the School Board members authority to order the kids off the bus.
