| Updated: 6/13/2011 6:02 am |
Published: 6/12/2011 8:12 pm |
LITTLE ROCK, AR - A state legislative audit committee voted unanimously to dissolve the PCSSD board Friday, after lawmakers found what they call troubling spending practices. Parents are hopeful this means a change in leadership for the district.
Parent Brandon Swoboda says, "If the leadership was there necessary to make the changes we need, it would have happened. Without vision, the people perish, and there's a lack of vision, and the district is perishing."
The district is also in the midst of losing millions of dollars in desegregation funds. That's the topic of a meeting with the Arkansas Board of Education Monday morning.
"We're just trying to determine what we need to do to keep the district solvent and strong and focus on meeting the needs of students," says PCSSD Superintendent Dr. Charles Hopson.
The district is also investigating what a prosecutor annoucned to be a fake bribery scheme aimed at blackmailing board member Gwen Williams, allegedly cooked up by fellow board member Tim Clark and Mills High School principal Michael Nellums. It’s too much drama for parents.
"The sense of rightness, where is that?” asks parent Rodney Dardenne. “Have we just foregone our sense of dignity and decency? I think the only real drama is where some left their morals at."
This week parents register their children for school. The superintendent says despite recent events, parents should not worry about their children's education. Dr. Hopson says, “I think it's probably a distraction for our learning community, but we're focused on keeping students our first priority."
Both Dardenne and Swoboda say they are worried about their kids and the type of leadership in the district. They want to see change whether that means a new board the abolishment of the board, they just want new leadership they can trust.
