BARRE — It began early Thursday evening, ended early Friday morning, and the nearly seven-and-a-half hours in between were a roller-coaster for the Barre Unified School Board and its second-year superintendent.
There were highs and lows — though most of the latter came courtesy of an audience who arrived with something to say, and spent most of the first hour or so saying it.
Participants — some in-person, some online and a few through emails that were read aloud by Chair Sonya Spaulding — weren’t all on the same page, and all but two were long gone when the board finally emerged from a three-hour executive session that left Superintendent Chris Hennessey alone with his phone in the library of Barre City Elementary and Middle School.
The board adjourned at 1:18 a.m. They took no action.
Hennessey’s “evaluation” was among the topics of the closed-door meeting, which also included discussion of a pair of student matters and the board’s evaluation of itself.
The latter item was added by Spaulding, who suggested the board continue a self-evaluation she said was started during another meeting-ending executive session last week.
Thursday’s marathon meeting capped what has been a turbulent two weeks — for the board, Hennessey and Spaulding, who was both praised for her service and urged to resign during another spirited round of public comment.
Many who spoke praised Hennessey for his leadership and defended what they viewed as his decision “to speak truth to power” during a blunt critique of the board he and several members of his administrative team delivered at the front-end of its Aug. 25 meeting.
That public display prompted some to question Hennessey’s judgment and his appreciation for the chain of command. Concerns about his candor were added to the mix following the last week’s release of emails that confirmed the intervention-like presentation was planned in advance and that Spaulding knew about it. The emails were released in response to a resident’s Freedom of Information Act request.
That was the backdrop for a board meeting — the third in two weeks — that started when people on both sides lamented the fact that there were two sides and suggested that needed to stop.
Teddy Waszazak, who serves on the Barre City Council, spoke first, expressing support for Hennessey, Spaulding and what he characterized as “cooperative” board members, while urging the others to get in line.
“I am now hearing from my constituents that they are not all right with how the school board is running the schools — how they’re not supporting the administration — and because of that they’re choosing not to send their kids to Barre schools,” he said. “That’s not sustainable. That’s not OK, and it’s not something that can continue on.”
Neither can circus-like board meetings, according to Jenny Hyslop.
“We look forward to the day that the reporter for the local paper has nothing to write about after these meetings so that when prospective job applicants Google our school system the first things they see is a picture of our kids playing sports and excelling instead of reports of a board that is not playing well in the sandbox,” Hyslop said.
Barre resident William Toborg suggested Spaulding resign.
Spaulding read a pair of emails — one praising Hennessey for his effective leadership and another asking him to squarely address questions about his candor stemming from emails he wrote in advance of the Aug. 25 meeting.
Barre Town resident Lori Bernier blamed the “planned public display” for “creating an embarrassing shameful cloud” over the school district.
“I, for one … find it hard to have trust in the superintendent (Hennessey) and chair of the school board (Spaulding) after such a childish maneuver,” she said. “We need to put our children first, and our school system first — not our personal agendas or partisan loyalties.”
Matt Mulligan took issue with Bernier’s use of the words “childish maneuver” and said so.
“Since when is freedom of speech and assembly a ‘childish’ act?” Mulligan asked. “Since when are opposing views and opposing ideals something to shy away from?
“That comment was discouraging and that comment was inflammatory,” he added, triggering a brief exchange between Bernier and Spaulding over whether Mulligan was out of line for directing his comments at her.
Jason Derner, director of the district’s SEA program, said administrators were distracted by the dissension, and suggested problems with board members were best addressed on Town Meeting Day.
“To spend our time being divisive is not helping anyone,” he said, while expressing support for Hennessey and Spaulding.
Speaking as a resident, Spaulding had the last word during public comment reading a prepared statement, clarifying what she did — and didn’t — know heading into the board’s Aug. 25 meeting.
“I did know that the superintendent (Hennessey) was going to make a statement, and I did know that there were others that were going to speak,” she said. “That’s it. That’s all I knew. I did not orchestrate anything and I did not know about emails.”
Spaulding said she feared the thrust of statements made by Hennessey and other concerned members of his administrative team had been lost.
“We have talked about emails and lies by the superintendent, but we haven’t talked about the message,” she said, suggesting there was room for improvement across the board.
“I would implore the board to listen — and listen to everyone,” she said. “Hear the good and the bad, reflect on how you, as an individual member, can do things differently so that the board as a whole can do good work.”
Spaulding didn’t exempt herself.
“I’m willing to listen and to change, and I ask the members of the board whether they are willing to do the same?” she asked.
That’s when the board got down to its business — engaging in what all agreed was a productive discussion of the district’s strategic plan, and a slightly contentious discussion of recent changes to the administrative salaries that were unilaterally implemented by Hennessey.
Hennessey said his intent — to bring administrative salaries in line with what other districts in the region are offering — was shared with the board in executive session before some current members were elected or appointed. He apologized for any confusion.
“I fully understand why someone would have questions about this,” he said.
Hennessey’s apology was well-received by board members, though, in the interest of clarity, they agreed to get a legal opinion about whether prior board approval was necessary.
The public portion of the meeting ended on an optimistic note, with School Director Chris Parker suggesting she was encouraged by the discussions and Spaulding expressing a similar sentiment.
“I appreciate everyone working together,” she said.
Hennessey agreed, noting he’d received a text earlier in the meeting praising the board’s discussion of the strategic plan.
Hennessey’s phone came in handy, because while he briefly joined the board in executive session, he spent most of the next three hours alone in the library.
