TURNING OUT THE PUBLIC FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS:

In the previous post I mentioned attending only one Work Study meeting where there was no member of the public present.

My concern for that eventuality was precipitated by a meeting I attended shortly after I was elected to the school board.

It was the practice in those days to hold a "board retreat" at some far off resort so that the board could discuss matters in a public meeting with no agenda and no one around to hear them.

I was the unlucky target of such an event shortly after being elected. The board went to Lake Conroe for their outing. In those days our family was operating with two cars and four people who needed to be places.  One of my kids had to drive me to Lake Conroe and then he left me there.

When the meeting convened, it was clear that I was going to get a tongue lashing.  Every board member, without exception decided to lay into me about this or that with regard to the election. Some were worse than others.  Jim Williams, in my opinion, was the worst. They didn't much like it that I had defeated an incumbent, David Frishman.  Of course they were in total violation of the law because I don't think browbeating a fellow but new board member was on the posted agenda that day, but that is what they did.

I sat and took it, but I sure wished that I had had a car for I would have left and come home if I had.

Of course the REAL purpose of the meeting after they were finished with me, was to go play golf.  They didn't invite me to play, even though I could have played!  Guess they didn't know that--or they didn't want me beating them at something else.

There was one more "board retreat" to tell about-- this time it was in West Columbia at a country club with a golf course.  But this time I talked friends into going along.  After all, it was a public meeting!  The looks on the faces of the other board members were choice when they realized what I had done.

It took a couple of years, but the state legislature finally passed a law saying that school boards and other state governmental boards could not hold meetings out of the area of their jurisdiction. That put an end to the brow-beating sessions and the golf trips on the public's dime.

The KISD Board still has a "retreat," and it pretty much goes on unannounced, but it is close by--usually at the Marriott, and the public can attend if they can figure out when it is and stand the boredom.

My lesson learned from these events was that I should never go to a KISD board meeting without someone from the public there, and I never did again.  I actually spent time before meetings calling people to come and watch the proceedings.  Their being there helped me in many ways, and it allowed them to see what the Board was doing to their children.