On May 22nd, I offered to settle the lawsuit over the Sunshine Law violations of the public body, “school closing task force” on this blog and in writing to the City and the School Board.

This requires the attorney’s to take the offer to the school board. I go to board meetings, I watch the agendas. There has been no discussion of legal issues mentioned in the executive session briefings since I made the offer.

On June 2nd, I got a letter of rejection from the school boards lawyer of my settlement offer.

This means that either they illegally discussed it in executive session, of which they’ve had two meetings this week, both, “Special Meetings” and both about personnel. The meeting on Friday was just over the change of contract for board attorney Jyllian Bradshaw. This was 4 days after another special meeting- called for the budget presentation and a bunch of HR Changes- without public input, including the travesty of paying Erin Dooley less than Wyetta Hayden for a similar position.

Either Brian Wildermuth broke the law by not presenting the offer to his client, or Bradshaw and Lolli broke the law by not presenting it to the board, or someone illegally polled the board about the offer.

In the meantime, the board has already spent $12,500+ defending themselves- and lost the first round.

But, those two “special meetings” this week- cost the taxpayers too. The meeting about the budget seems to be an annual thing- why the treasurer can’t have the numbers at the regularly scheduled business meeting like every other school board in Ohio is a mystery- and why they had so many personnel issues that couldn’t wait- is one thing, but to call a board meeting just to change Jyllians Bradshaws title?
REALLY?

You see, each board member collects $125 per meeting, plus mileage. So having these five idiots come in for one vote on Friday cost you $625 plus mileage:

Motion by Mohamed H Al-Hamdani, second by Karen Wick-Gagnet.
Final Resolution: Motion Carried
Yes: Mohamed H Al-Hamdani, William E Harris Jr, Sheila J Taylor, Karen Wick-Gagnet
Abstain: Robert C Walker

Why there isn’t outrage over this I don’t know. The rule of “P’s” should apply- Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

And if you are wondering about the pay?

Here is the section of Ohio Revised Code on school board compensation:

(A) Each member of the educational service center governing board may be paid such compensation as the governing board provides by resolution, provided that any such compensation shall not exceed one hundred twenty-five dollars a day plus mileage both ways, at the rate per mile provided by resolution of the governing board, for attendance at any meeting of the board. No member of an educational service center governing board shall receive in compensation under this division a total amount greater than five thousand dollars per year for service on the governing board. Such

Source: Lawriter – ORC

The lawmakers had to make the change and add a cap, because of idiots like the former DPS board who were scheduling meetings almost weekly and stuffing their pockets. Normal school boards meet at most twice a month. DPS finds a way to meet almost weekly, often times hitting the cap in August- meaning all the meetings after that are unpaid.

And on June 12, they are going to meet again- to give Erin Dooley a supplemental contract to fix the last oversight- and to hire yet another expensive PhD $117,040  to oversee the office of exceptional children. Dr. Angela Nichols is coming from the Lebanon City Schools. Because, well, you can never have to many PhDs in education.

There are also some inconsistencies in the supplemental contracts- with Dr. Donetrus Hill getting a premium double supplemental for $5,200, maybe because his title is longer “Chief of Curriculum, Instruction, PD ?Math/Science”

Still no word as to who the principal will be at Belmont, although former DPS superstar principal David White just got moved in Trotwood from High School Principal to Junior high principal- and it wouldn’t surprise me if he made a return, with some kind of secondary responsibility as “head of discipline” to justify a boost in DPS pay to come closer to what he makes in Trotwood.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball coaching positions at Dunbar are still up in the air. The women’s team hasn’t been playing in summer ball, thanks to the indecision by new AD Shawna Welch. Coach Jim Cole was “coach of the year” last year- which in DPS doesn’t mean anything. He’s basically built this program from nothing to a winner in 3 years.

Of course, the question is, will the board try to vote in a review session, as has been the case forever. That’s why we have “business meetings” and there is time for public input- but, hey, that would be following the rules, and they just don’t like to do that.

And, for tomorrows meeting, the agenda does have them going into executive session to discuss legal matters… maybe they will get smart and settle, before they buy Wildermuth a new boat.