West Valley board calls for ‘redo’ in choosing new superintendent

West Valley School District’s Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting today to redo its vote selecting a new superintendent following a “procedural glitch” at a previous meeting.

The special meeting starts at 4 p.m. in the school library. There are two items on the agenda: “Board discussion and action regarding superintendent candidates” and “Board ratification of superintendent contract.”

The board unanimously voted to hire West Valley Interim Superintendent Richard Gross at a Feb. 6 meeting identified as a hiring committee meeting, but included the full board’s participation. After the meeting, Board Chair Marilyn Hedstrom called Gross to offer the position, which he said he accepted, pending approval of a contract.

The procedural mistake trustees referred to pertains to the Feb. 6 meeting notice. The notice stated interviews would be conducted but did not include information that the board would take action on selecting a new superintendent. The omission may have impacted attendance, depriving the public their right to participate under Article II, Section 8 of Montana’s Constitution, according to Mike Meloy a consulting attorney for the Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, which provides expertise on public meetings and processes.

ALONG WITH Gross, the board and community members on the hiring committee, interviewed applicant Gerald Chouinard, superintendent of Hot Springs School District. Both applicants waived their right to privacy, permitting trustees hold deliberations about the candidates in open session. According to Montana’s open meeting laws, this means any discussion must be held in public session. 

During the executive session, attorney Elizabeth Kaleva of Kaleva Law Office was called to conduct the checks. Trustees, however, also discussed applicants during the closed session.

After reopening the meeting to the public, Hedstrom addressed the audience. 

“We come back from an executive session. We have met and discussed the two very, very good candidates we had for the superintendent position and we looked over a lot of the information and evaluated what we needed to do. We also had a little counsel from a lawyer who is handling this for us. So now I’d entertain a motion from what we have discussed as our general consensus for our superintendent choice going forward,” Hedstrom said.

Hedstrom made the motion to recommend hiring Gross, which was seconded by Vice Chair Stefanie Hanson. No discussion followed. 

Prior to taking a vote, the board chair did not open the floor for public comment.

West Valley School made the announcement Gross accepted the position in a Feb. 9 school newsletter. A posting on the school’s Facebook page stated the board’s unanimous decision reflected Gross’ “outstanding leadership, passion for education, and commitment to our district staff, and students.”

AT A Feb. 12 meeting, the board tabled the agenda item to approve Gross’ contract.

“We need to table this, this is our lawyer speaking, because it was due to a procedural glitch, we’re going to have to table this and have another meeting and we scheduled that for Thursday at 4 o’clock to overcome the procedural glitch that we did at the hiring committee meeting,” Hedstrom said before turning to Hanson to explain it further,

“It was just brought to our attention that we didn’t have ‘and/or possible action’ on that agenda from Feb. 6 so we had made a motion to offer the position to Richard Gross, however, we will redo it on a Thursday meeting at 4 o’clock, so that the public will have another area to discuss everything on that action,” Hanson said.

Hedstrom added, “It has no reflection on Richard or our discussion. It has everything to do with the fact that with we forgot an ‘and/or’ on the agenda. We will correct that on the coming agenda.”

In a brief phone interview with Kaleva, she said the situation was “not ideal” but would provide for public participation prior to the board ratifying the contract.

GROSS WAS selected to serve as interim for the 2023-24 school year replacing superintendent Cindy Risher, who resigned following a rift between administrators and some board members. Before serving as the interim, he held the West Valley principal position since August 2017. 

This is not the first “procedural glitch” for the school and board.

Last school year, the district canceled a mail ballot levy election after missing a deadline to pass a resolution stating the levy amount in order for the clerk to certify ballots. The canceled election cost the district roughly $3,183 in printing and mailing costs. 

The district currently plans to run a general fund levy and a technology levy. Amounts haven’t been set. A general fund levy covers a broad range of costs related to the day-to-day operation of schools and educating students. General fund levies are permanent (with exceptions). As the name implies, a technology levy covers technology-related expenses and has a 10-year duration. 

The board will also have two trustee openings on its school board for three-year terms. People wishing to serve have until March 28 to file paperwork to appear on the ballot. April 4 is the deadline for write-in candidates to file a declaration of intent and the last day a candidate may withdraw from the election. File paperwork at the school located at 2290 Farm to Market Road. For more information call 755-7239.

Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.