The Brandywine School District Board is putting together a working group to come up with contract proposals for a new superintendent.
Last month, Brandywine Superintendent Lincoln Hohler announced he’s retiring effective July 1, and the board voted 4-3 to nominate a current district employee to take his place after a heated debate over the process.
Board President John Skrobot announced Monday that employee is current Deputy Superintendent Lisa Lawson.
He then asked two board members, Jason Heller and Kim Stock, to volunteer for a small working group to deliver contract proposals to the full board, spurring another debate with board member Shawn Jegede over whether the process met Freedom of Information Act guidelines, since the working group discussion was not on the agenda.
“So the fact that you have a prepared statement, means you intentionally held that information from the public so that you could come and do the same shenanigans you did last month," Jegede says.
Skrobot argued this is how they’ve operated in the past.
“It would be unheard of to negotiate terms in public as a full board of seven," Skrobot says. "It would be unfair to both the district and Dr. Lawson and put our district at a significant disadvantage, it takes away all leverage in negotiations if Dr. Lawson knows the maximum values we might be willing to offer.”
"And yet that is what the state requires," Jegede responds.
The board moved to executive sessions to consult legal counsel - then returned with Skrobot making the volunteer request and clarifying the working group discussions will happen in a public meeting.
“The Freedom of Information Act says any decisions or conversations related to a superintendent's contract has to happen in a public meeting," Jegede says. "Whether it’s going to be a small working group or whether there is going to be there full discussion and voting happening in the public meeting. John [Skrobot] doesn’t get to just make that decision on his own without informing the public.”
