Belchertown School Committee Chairman Linda Tsoumas said Houle is highly qualified, a tremendous asset to the district, and that previous problems involving Houle’s leadership had been addressed.
BELCHERTOWN – A last-ditch effort by the school board chairman to retain the services of departing Superintendent Judith Houle collapsed when committee members cried foul during a stormy meeting this week.
In taking the action to try to reverse Houle’s decision to resign, chairman Linda Tsoumas said Houle is highly qualified, a tremendous asset to the district, and that previous problems involving Houle’s leadership had been addressed and are old news.
School board opponents took umbrage at the Tsoumas idea, saying it was not on the agenda, that many parents would have attended the meeting to voice opposition to keeping Houle, there are recent issues with her of concern and that a number of school employees are relieved she is leaving.
Two online petitions seeking Houle’s ouster have circulated in the past year.
Before a contract extension for Houle was to be discussed at a packed school board meeting last month, the superintendent surprised everyone. She read a letter announcing her resignation effective June 30, 2014, when her contract expires.
The annual evaluation by the school board gave Houle high marks and lauded her work.
Houle’s letter to the school board announcing the resignation makes no mention of the online petitions.
But remarks by Tsoumas and 6th-grade teacher Ron McClure at the Sept. 10 meeting supporting Houle took square aim at the online petitions.
“How can the school committee listen to a small group of disgruntled parents when there has been clear progress in the district?” Tsoumas said. The chairman said many in the community are asking that question now and have told her it is wrong to allow them to push Houle out.
“At our last meeting, Dr. Houle read a letter that was taken under advisement. Before we move to any discussion about a search for another superintendent, I have one question to ask,” Tsoumas said.
“The school committee voted to offer you both a compensation package for the coming year and for an extension of your contract through June 30, 2015, Dr. Houle. Will you reconsider our offer?” Tsoumas said.
Because the compensation was discussed behind closed doors by the committee, Houle told Tsoumas, “I would like to know how the open session vote would take place” before responding to the offer.
A motion to keep Houle was made.
At that point the meeting became heated.
School committee members Myndi Bogdanovich, left, and Richard Fritsch, who objected to a move to reconsider superintendent Judith Houle's decision to resign, are seen at Tuesday's School Committee meeting. Committee member Richard Fritsch objected to Tsoumas’ plan, saying: “This was not on the agenda,”
Board member Myndi Bogdanovich said the process underway to retain Houle “is completely unprofessional.”
Fritsch said many parents had attended the August meeting – prepared to speak against Houle, but said nothing because the superintendent at the time announced she would resign. Fritsch said any discussion about renewing her contract now should occur with proper notification of the community.
Directing her remarks to Tsoumas, committee Bogdanovich said, “You say you’ve talked with many people. I’ve had administrators who told me they were happy” that Houle chose to resign.
“I am going to put a stop to this,” Houle said. She requested that the motion asking her to reconsider the decision to resign be rescinded.
Vice Chairman Clare Popowich reluctantly complied, saying: “This is just wrong – we are going in the wrong direction.”
This year’s petition seeking Houle’s removal was organized by Sarah Talbot. Bogdanovich obtain hundreds of signatures on her petition in 2012. Bogdanovich was elected to the school board during the annual town election in May.