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Paralyzed school board makes no votes
Absent a member, board splits 2-2 to approve agenda, stopping business
The most powerful member of the Hesperia Unified School District school board Monday night was the one who wasn't there.
Board member Anthony Riley was missing at the start of the meeting, leaving the board with an even number of votes. When board members clashed about items on the agenda, and split down the middle on whether to approve the agenda, the board was unable to approve any course of action for the evening and legally could do nothing requiring further votes.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Riley, we're not having a board meeting tonight," board vice-president Lee Rogers told Riley when he arrived at 8 p.m., 90 minutes after the scheduled 6:30 p.m. start of the public portion of the meeting.
Board members Hardy Black and Chris Bentley had clashed over several of the information items placed on the agenda by Bentley, some of which had been bouncing from agenda to agenda since January, never being taken up by the board. At issue were how many items had been placed on the agenda by Bentley: Five of the information items were originally asked for by Bentley. This fall, the board voted to limit the number of items a board member can place on the agenda to two, and HUSD legal counsel Dennis Wagner indicated that such bylaw changes are retroactive. That would make Bentley's agenda items incompatible with board bylaws, months after he originally sought to have the board discuss the issues.
"I'm trying to solve a problem," said board member Robert Kirk, asking the board to reopen the vote on the board agenda after Riley's arrival and the earlier stalemate.
"You've really got me earning my money tonight," said Wagner. "When the 2-2 vote on the meeting agenda tonight failed, there's no meeting to go forward."
The next regular meeting of the HUSD school board will be held on Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. in the HUSD Educational Support Center Annex, 15576 Main Street.
Before then, the board will hold a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, beginning at 4 p.m., to discuss the framework for contract negotiations.
Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com. Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/HesperiaStar.
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| cant take it. Again bunk. You are cleverly evading the truth. When Krystal was taking enrollment, they were enrolling kids from outside the district before it was full. Do you deny that? Again the statements at the board meeting was how much extra money was being brought into Hesperia school district by these out of area students. While on face value that is OK, my opinion is that Hesperia kids should go to that school first. You say snooze you lose. So compassionate. Not every parent stays up on the happenings and openings at Hesperia schools. I realize flyers were sent home from neighborhood schools asking people to enroll at the new choice schools, but how many of those actually make it home or are read? IMO those parents and their children are not what they want at the choice schools anyway. |
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| smokescreen - Nov 11, 2009 11:31:16 AM | Remove Comment |
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| smokescreen is only partly correct. The waiting list was created in the order it was rec'd, AFTER those from within the boundries had indicated they intend to enroll. Fact is, you snooze you loose. It does say something though when we are arguing about a waiting list for enrolment to a choice school. |
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| cant take it - Nov 10, 2009 07:18:25 PM | Remove Comment |
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| can't take it That is bunk. There is a waiting list from children who reside in Hesperia school boundaries is there not? A reason outside children were chosen is IMO to get extra money for the district and to show how wonderful the choice schools are. . |
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| smokescreen - Nov 10, 2009 01:07:35 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Hesperia should be very affraid of Al Vogler. Read his post and recognize that the man who has his hand firmly entrenched in the back side of our council members is now trying to steer the direction of husd board. His wife will run for reelection at the same time husd will replace three members. Who will he back and why? will he try to control the council, husd and the park district. Will he make another attempt to place a puppet into mojave water district? Make no mistake he is the most political individual in the city and he has only one interest in mind, his own benefit. He may wear foil under his ballcap to prevent the government from reading his thoughts but he is not a dumb man. |
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| cant take it - Nov 09, 2009 11:33:53 PM | Remove Comment |
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| EVERY resident that lives in the area served by Kingston and Lime was given priority at Krystal. Only AFTER those who lived in the area were enrolled did the students from outside our district or area get enrolled. No local that wanted in was denied. True no buses are offered to anyone outside the Kingston Lime area but if you value the opportunity the choice school offers, you will find a way. Like health care, you have the choice to have the best but it doesn't mean it will be handed to you on a silver platter. This last board meeting was stalled by one person and his blind follower. The blind follower showed us how much of a pupet SHE is. Bentley and Rogers had no legitimate reason to stonewall the approval of the agenda and both did so in collaboration. |
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| cant take it - Nov 09, 2009 11:21:52 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Not even the union agrees with the board, these days. Also, please remember it wasn't the entire union who backed these teachers but 5 committee members chosen by Jim Pace. There are those of us teachers who actually care about our kids and want to set an example for them and who did not support the union's selections in the the past two elections. |
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| Concerned teacher - Nov 08, 2009 09:17:17 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Yes, there are kids from Hesperia on certain waiting lists. Deal with it. Better yet, the schools were advertised as CHOICE schools, but a lot of parents I know don't have a choice because of busing. The community was silent when these pet project schools by your board were being created. You knuckleheads voted these guys into power. What did you think was going to happen when a bunch of union backed ex teachers got elected. Anyone who thinks just because someone is a teacher makes them qualified to run a district isn't thinking very much. |
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| Serves You Right - Nov 06, 2009 09:02:05 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Since when is right and wrong a priority for the school board? |
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| Priorities - Nov 06, 2009 03:59:06 PM | Remove Comment |
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| I have a question. Watching the board meeting a member of the board was talking up the fact that 100 or so students from outside Hesperia school boundaries were attending the new choice schools. I thought I remember reading that at least at one of those schools there is a waiting list to get in. So if I am correct students who live in Hesperia cannot get into a choice school because some kids from out the area got enrolled? Doesn't seem right to me? |
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| confused - Nov 06, 2009 07:41:53 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Can any adult these days act like an adult? Grow up already. You all sound and act like a bunch of spoiled kids. |
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| woman - Nov 04, 2009 07:54:30 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Ok so what is your real name? Also how is it that you know what Bentley always does? You must be really close to him to know that kind of information. yuk |
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| really aka Dee Ross - Nov 04, 2009 05:54:09 PM | Remove Comment |
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| really are you kidding why don't you post your name first then i will and we will see what happens next you pompous chicken. Bentley always uses his real name if and when he blogs. You call someone an idiot then say someone else is afraid to post their name what bottle are you drinking from pal. |
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| sht up - Nov 04, 2009 06:05:26 AM | Remove Comment |
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| sht up really I think you are really Chris Bentley afraid to post using your own name. If not, you must be drinking from the same bottle cause you sound just like him. |
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| really - Nov 03, 2009 06:41:32 PM | Remove Comment |
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| What a joke our Board is. |
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| parent - Nov 03, 2009 05:57:49 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Kirk and Black have no business being board members if they really believe it's their way or no way. They learned nothing from the conference the district paid for them to attend and that is obvious on the board video. Why don't black or kirk and riley want to set policy and procedures and directions for husd. That is truly their job and they have never done it even with the training. So you are the idiot if thats what you glean from this article and the blogs which I reckon makes you the glue and Al the rubber in this case |
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| sht up really - Nov 03, 2009 05:47:43 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Al Vogler is an idiot. |
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| really - Nov 03, 2009 01:58:58 PM | Remove Comment |
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| It is so nice that despite all the political nonsense from our adult leaders of our school board, our students had the courage to go to school each day and study their hardest and make our test scores go up. Way to go HUSD students. |
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| HUSD parent - Nov 03, 2009 09:15:36 AM | Remove Comment |
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| A shame Mr. Yarbrough did not report the most important item of last nights HUSD board meeting. Stellar reporting, not.
A member of the public requested that the board place on the agenda for a future meeting, an item to discuss campaign finance reform by the board members as well as a discussion about ethical conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest.
While Mr. Kirks and Blacks tirades were important I believe the audience saw through the attempts by the two to silence board member Bentley. And so, this is how politics are played and it is reason enough to believe that in 2010 the HUSD board makeup must be changed. |
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| Al Vogler - Nov 03, 2009 09:12:09 AM | Remove Comment |
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| I just want to give special thanks to all HUSD employees. They keep doing their jobs each and every day. They love kids. Our API scores are up. Our schools are acheiving. All this good stuff in spite of our current boards inability to play nice. Way to go HUSD employees! |
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| HUSD parent - Nov 03, 2009 09:00:02 AM | Remove Comment |
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| We need a new school board. |
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| HUSD employee - Nov 03, 2009 07:44:03 AM | Remove Comment |
