The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Search to expand outside school district
Attorney: Secret vote defeats public's right to know
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 24, 2008
Employing an unorthodox method of secret ballots, the Milan school board voted Jan. 16 to conduct an external search for the district's next superintendent.
Advertisement
Board members considered three search options, including an internal search, an external search through the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, and contracting with a search firm consultant to conduct a nationwide search.
On a paper ballot, board members first selected whether to hold an internal or external search. The ballots were collected and tabulated without revealing the vote count.
The results of the ballot called for an external search and board members then chose whether to conduct the search through the WISD or a consultant.
Again, the vote count, in favor of going through the WISD, was not revealed.
The board then voted unanimously to run its search through the WISD.
When questioned about the ballot method used to reach their decision, board members said they wanted to present a unified front.
"We've discussed this in a workshop," said Board Vice President Chuck Bushart. "I think we all pretty much know where each other stands."
But Dawn Phillips Hertz, general counsel for the Michigan Press Association, said the process was a violation of the Open Meetings Act.
"They can't have a secret ballot," Hertz said. "All votes need to be made in public. This is a cute way of defeating the public's right to know."
The board's decision to conduct a search through the WISD cannot be challenged, she said, because they did in the vote publicly on the issue, but she was highly critical of the process.
"The board was in a bit of a dilemma," said Superintendent Dennis McComb. "They wanted some way to narrow their options down and they thought it was important for the board to be unified. That's why we did it the way we did."
There was speculation that the board might opt to post the position internally in light of Assistant Superintendent Bryan Girbach's expressed interest in the job.
Girbach, who started his career in Milan as a high school math teacher in 1992 and was later assistant principal and principal of the middle school, has said he would apply regardless of the search method the board chose.
McComb said he would contact WISD Superintendent Bill Miller to begin the process.
"Miller will help us develop the posting and help select a consultant who will handle applications," McComb said.
McComb estimated that the search would cost the district less than $2,000 as compared to a price nearer $8,000 for an outside search firm.
McComb, who has been at the helm of the district for 12 years, last month announced his retirement effective the end of June.
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
Staff Blog, "Inside The Newsroom"
TOP JOBS
