School Board Members Disagree About Policy Agenda Item

Discussion between Oskaloosa School Board members Carl Drost (left) and board president Tom Richardson (not pictured) became heated on Tuesday night.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The discussion about student behavior and classroom disruption, has been on the table for the District School Board several times in the past months.

Oskaloosa News was contacted by Board member, Carl Drost, on Thursday, about his concerns that he was requesting an action item be placed on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting. Drost stated that Oskaloosa School Board President, Tom Richardson, was resisting his ability to place an item on the agenda.

After informing Drost that we would interview him about his concerns, Oskaloosa News reached out to Oskaloosa School Superintendent Russ Reiter for commentary about the agenda item.

Before our interview with Drost, Oskaloosa News received an email from Board secretary, Chad Vink, that stated, “Please be aware that Item #6 on the agenda for Tuesday night regarding the Parent/Student Handbook may include discussion and action regarding behavior issues at the Elementary School”.

With that development in place, no interviews with Drost or Reiter took place.

On Tuesday night, Board members disagreed about allowing a motion from Carl Drost being allowed for possible action.

Drost proposed in his motion, “I also move that the Oskaloosa School Board direct the superintendent to implement a discipline program at the elementary and middle school that requires any student that causes a classroom evacuation to leave the school for that day for the 2016 – 2017 school year, starting August 23rd, 2016. And that any classroom evacuation incident have the police called immediately for the safety of students and staff”.

Board President Tom Richardson informed Drost that his motion “was out of order”.

Drost responded, “No it’s not”, when Richardson immediately replied, “It is”.

Richardson said “At this very moment, I just learned what you wanted to vote about”. Richardson went on to say, Board policy states that supporting documentation for a motion must be presented before a motion can be made, or it would be in violation of open meetings’ laws.

The two board members continued to debate the merits of their arguments, which eventually prompted Board member Kraig VanHulzen to ask the members to “Stop”.

Richardson went on to say, “Voting when we do not have something specified in the agenda puts all members at risk of violating the open meetings’ law”.

Drost responded “No it doesn’t”.

VanHulzen once again injected into the discussion “Stop”.

“This is not something I’m going to allow”, said Richardson, of allowing the motion set forth by Drost to be voted upon.

VanHulzen told Drost that he was unaware of what motion Drost would be making at the meeting. “If I don’t know about it ahead of time, I’m not informed, I don’t think it should be voted on. Period.”

Drost told Richardson that the item would be on next month’s agenda, stating that Richardson and Oskaloosa School Superintendent were “untrustworthy”.

Board member Erik Edgren spoke in favor of the direction Drost was going with his motion, but was reluctant to second the motion because he was not familiar enough with open meetings’ laws.

Edgren said he had concerns “about the discipline in OES when his child was a kindergartener. I think it has been quite honestly, a slow downhill slide”.

Edgren also agreed with Drost that, “If your kid has been assaulted, when it turns into assault, that goes beyond the school, I absolutely think that people should be filing charges”.

Shelly Herr, Vice President of the Board of Education, expressed that the conversation needs to continue. Herr pointed to a tour the Board took prior to the meeting at the elementary, where they learned of changes taking place to help curb incidents with students.

Further discussion is planned for the next regular school Board meeting in September.