Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / Aug. 21, 1997, edition 1 / Page 1
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f|| AUG Z 0 1997 iULJaWLrJl ^c erquimans Weekly Ibrar^ 350 Vol. 65, No. 33 The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people Hertford, North Carolina 27944 Inside 'K, ' : ToddHunter Whatdo youdo? By Sean Jackson Pages Woodell resigns from PCHS baseball position Pages The Creole State strikes back — too hard? Page 4 Police, sheriff make arrests Page 8 ’ Perquimans County an All of Us Community August’s theme; Know who you are focusing on Asking yourself what you stand for; Personal values Incorporate these Healthy HABITS into your daily life and help make our community a better place to livel C For All of Us Care ♦ 'Z ! information, contact Sandra Smith Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce 426-5657 School board backs superintendent Boar± Documents support decision to fireBillTioe By SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor The Perquimans County School Board issued a press release Tuesday morning sup porting the decision of schools superintendent Randall Henion to recommend dis missal of former Hertford Grammar School principal Bill Tice. After meeting in closed ses sion for almost four hours with Raleigh attorney Richard Schwartz and another member Board protects integrity By SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor The stage was set — literal ly — Monday night when a crowd of about 300 forced the Perquimans County School Board to move the public hear ing portion of its regular meet ing to the high school auditori um. Board members, adminis trators, a school board secre tary and legal advisors took center stage under the lights for the meeting. At issue was the July 31 suspension of long- time Hertford Grammar School principal William D. Tice, which resulted in Tice’s resignation Friday, and other concerns about personnel treatment in the schools. Board chairman Wallace Nelson opened the meeting with a statement he said the board decided to make after Tice went public with his story in The Daily Advance newspa per Sunday and hearing rumors on the street. Nelson said the board recog nizes and appreciates citizens’ concerns over the removal of of his legal team at the end of Monday night’s school board meeting, the press release states that the board found that Tice had been given notice of performance con cerns, and that his due process rights had been protected. “The Perquimans County Board of Education has reviewed documentation sup porting the Superintendent’s recommendation for the dis missal of Mr. Bill Tice,” the release reads. “The documen tation is substantial and reflects serious performance problems which repeatedly were discussed with Mr. Tice over the last two years. The Superintenent gave Mr. Tice appropriate time, opportunity. guidance and resources to improve his performance, but little to no improvement was seen. The documentation evi dences serious problems in communications, in the lead ership of Hertford Grammar School and in other areas.” Henion said Tuesday morn ing that the press release was written after the board recon vened in open session and voted unanimously to support his decision. The release also states that the board reviewed documents relating to Tice’s evaluation, dismissed, and resignation and release processes, and deter mined that proper procedures were followed at every stage and that all legal requirments were met and exceeded. “Out of fairness to Mr. Tice, we do not want to leave any one with the impression that any actions involving Mr. Tice are related to anything other than performance concerns,” the release states. “Those con cerns, however, were real, well-documented, and demand ed appropriate action. The Board, having thoroughly reviewed this matter, believes that the Superintendent’s actions were appropriate and well-considered. “Many false statements have been made regarding these matters, which have called into question the integrity of this Board and the Superintendent,” the release continues. “In order to protect the integrity of the Board, we are authorizing the release of confidential personnel docu ments supporting the Superintendent’s actions, as permitted by General Statute 115C-321. However if Mr. Tice objects to the release of this information then, out of respect for Mr. Tice and recog nizing the many contributions that he has made to the Perquimans County Schools, these documents will not be released by the Board at this time.” Tice was suspended without pay on July 31 pending dis missal proceedings, and sub mitted his resignation on Aug. 15. 7. y K' e, . \ PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS Former Hertford Grammar School principal Bill Tice receives encouragement and support from former staff members and the community at Monday night’s school board meeting. An overflow audience caused the board to move the meeting to the high school auditorium to accommodate all those who attended. Three people spoke in support of Tice, and Tice himself was allowed to address the board and those gathered. After a later closed session, the board voted to back superintendent Randall Henion’s decision to recommend Tice’s dismissal, which led to Tice’s resignation on Friday. Tice, but that charges leveled at the board and superinten dent had called into question the integrity of both the administrator and board. The chairman said the board had asked Richard Schwartz, whom he described as “the attorney who has been helping us in this battle,” to be present at the meeting. Please see Tice, page 7 Citizens question Henion’s actions By SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor The three Perquimans County residents who stepped to the podium Monday night to support Bill Tice actually spoke more about superinten dent Randall Henion than about Tice. Hertford Grammar School PTA president Nancy Hagan told the board she was hesitant to come before them because of treatment she received in Henion’s office when she visit ed to request a position on the meeting agenda. Hagan said Henion told her the comments she might maike would have no impact on the board, but she chose to speak anyway. She said if Tice was made to feel the way she was in the super intendent’s office, she would also have resigned in his posi tion. Hagan opened her com ments by reading a letter to the editor published in The Perquimans Weekly in May 1993 written by school board member Marjorie Rayburn prior to her election to the board. At that time, concern over a personnel matter involving high school teacher Sharon Smith and the tactics used in an attempt to force three middle school teachers to resign had caused a public outcry against Henion and the board. Rayburn stated that while she did not know the full details of the matters, the situ ation had been handled “abysmally.” Rayburn stated that poor handling of the situa tion seemed to point to “Prove to me you have some back bone and do what’s right.” Gary Stubbins Former principal Perquimans Cental School Henion, and that if he could not properly do his job, the board should take action. She added that the board was com posed of elected officials and could be removed by the elec torate if they did not act. Winfall mayor and commu nity activitist Fred Yates was next on the agenda. Yates first questioned the removal of Henry Felton as principal at the middle school, and his sub sequent transfer. Next, he questioned the tim ing of Tice’s suspension so close to the opening of school. “There is a decent way to do anything properly,” Yates said. “The board may want to take a look at its leadership, for your superintendent put you in a defensive position.” Yates said he hopes the board will investigate and cor rect its problems. Retired Central School prin cipal Gary Stubbins walked to the front of the auditorium to a standing ovation before begin ning his remEurks. Stubbins said he had con cerns regarding board chair man Wallace Nelson’s state ments about BUI Tice’s evalua tions. The former principal said he met with Henion for an evaluation on one occasion to find that his marks in several areas had gone down from his last evaluation. When he ques tioned the evcduation, he said Henion told him Stubbins was “not in his corner.” When Stubbins refused to sign the evaluation, he said Henion tore it up and threw the pieces over his shoulder. Later, Stubbins said Henion delivered a second evaluation form to his office which put aU his marks back to their former levels. Because Tice was suspend ed and faced dismissal based on performance evaluations. Please see Support, Page 7 Personnel issues bring out citizens Usually, the Perquimans County school board deliber ates with only empty chairs, administrators and a news paper reporter present. But whenever a controversial personnel decision is made, residents show up in droves. The first of this decade’s concerns arose over what superintendent Randall Henion and board members called rumors that Henion intended to boot then- Perquimans High School principal William Byrum. Angry residents overflowed the board room in support of Byriun in November 1991. Next came the suspension of high scliool teacher Sharon Smith and the request by Henion to three middle school teachers that they resign in the spring of 1993. Again, residents flocked to the board. Issues raised during a three-month period resulted in a committee orga nized by Henion to give par ents' input and answers on school system operations. Tice’s case is the first to go public since. Outside THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY High: Low: High: Low: High: Low: 80s 70s 80s 70s 80s 70s CHANCE OF STORMS CHANCE OF STORMS CHANCE OF STORMS
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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Aug. 21, 1997, edition 1
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