BURKEonBOARD

(Sept. 8, 2008) – It’s almost a year until Farmington Schools superintendent Bradley Meeks’ current contract runs out, but there’s concern that the current school, a collection of Meeks sycophants (minus Ann Manthey), may jump the gun and offer him a new three year contract before the end of the year.

Here’s the concern. The school board has scheduled Meeks annual job performance evaluation for this Wednesday. This happens to be a time when board member Manthey is unable to attend.

Without Manthey there, Meeks will get universally glowing reviews from the rest of the board, now known as the Meeks Five. And that will give them the excuse to go ahead and offer Meeks a new contract. Even though a three year contract, the longest allowed under state law, would be served entirely during the tenure of the three board members to be elected in November.

Can the current board do that legally? Yes.

Do they have to do it? No.

Is it the right thing to do? Absolutely not! And here’s why.

In the past few years, Meeks has become a very controversial figure. He has presided over a huge increase in school property taxes, a massive cost overrun on the new high school project and some very dubious spending decisions that he championed to the current board, not to mention allowing the academic achievement to flounder while pushing the ill-considered $24 million SportsPlex project last year.

Meeks is already a campaign issue that has been raised by at least five of the current school board candidates, including yours truly, who think that even if Meeks’ current contract is allowed to run its full course, he at least needs to be reigned in considerably.

Why would the current board deny the next board the ability to have a superintendent it is comfortable with?

There’s only one reason–spitefulness.

The handwriting is on the wall. It is likely that three new members will be sitting at the school board table next January, three new members who are unlikely to be as impressed with Meeks as the Meeks Five are. After the election, the Meeks Five would be be down to the Meeks Three and unable to pass a contract renewal.

If the current board left Meeks’ contract alone, the new board could carefully consider Meeks’ future with ISD 192. If the current board signs him up for another three years and the new board decides it is best to find new leadership for the district, that would trigger an expensive severance payout to Meeks, at least under the terms of his current contract.

The current board needs to hear from as many people as possible right now, telling them not to renew Meeks contract this year. Send them emails. Tell them what you think.

Here are the addresses:

Julie McKnight, chair (and running for reelection) – jmcknight@farmington.k12.mn.us
Tim Weyandt – tweyandt@farmington.k12.mn.us
John Kampf – jkampf@farmington.k12.mn.us
Terry Donnelly – tdonnelly@farmington.k12.mn.us
Bob Heman – bheman@farmington.k12.mn.us
Ann Manthey (she already gets it) – amanthey@farmington.k12.mn.us

Tell these board members what you think and ask them to tell you where they stand on the Meeks contract renewal issue.