HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_0331 (2)IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONI
SPECIAL MEETING —JUNE 30, 2004
9:00 A.M. (Continuation of June 22, 2004 Meeting)
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met on Wednesday, June 30, 2004, at 9:00
a.m., in the Agricultural Resource Center, 444 Bristol Drive, Statesville, NC. The special
meeting was held due to a legal proceeding initiated by the Iredell-Statesville School System.
Commissioners present were:
Chairman Steve D. Johnson
Vice Chairman Godfrey Williams
Doug Madison
Marvin Norman
Sara Haire Tice
Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, Finance Director Susan Blumenstein,
Clerk to the Board Jean Moore, and Attorney Neil Yarborough.
Iredell-Statesville Board of Education Members Present were:
Dr. David Cash, Chairman — Board of Education
Tara Cashion, Vice Chairman, Board of Education
Dr. Mary Bruce Serene, Member, Board of Education
Keith Williams, Member, Board of Education
David Parker, Member, Board of Education
Dr. Kenneth Wilson, Member, Board of Education
Jim Head, Member, Board of Education
Staff present: Dr. Terry Holliday, Superintendent, Dr. Steve Lane, Assistant
Superintendent, Finance Director Terry Haas, Attorney Ann Majestic, and numerous other staff
members including principals and teachers.
CALL TO ORDER: Mediator Dick Tyndall said the June 30 meeting had been
continued from the June 22, 2004 meeting and that both boards were stili in open session. He
said the purpose of the June 30 meeting was to obtain a better understanding of the dispute.
CLOSED SESSIONS FOR BOTH BOARDS TO CONSULT WITH THEIR
RESPECTIVE ATTORNEYS: OTIO by Commissioner Madison, at 9:05 a.m., to enter
into closed session pursuant to G.S. 143-318.11 (a) (3) — Attomey/Client.
VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0.
OTIO by Dr. Cash, with a second to the motion, to enter into closed session pursuant
to G.S. 143-318.11(a) (3)-Attomey/Client.
VOTING: Ayes — 7; Nays — 0.
(RETURN TO OPEN SESSION AT 9:20 A.M.)
PRESENTATION BY ATTORNEY ANN MAJESTIC ON BEHALF OF THE
IREDELL-STATESVILLE SCHOOL BOARD: Majestic mentioned the 1997 Leandro
lawsuit and the Supreme Court's ruling that stipulated there was a Constitutional right to an
education in North Carolina of "qualitative content," and that the schools had to provide a
"sound basic education." She said the trial court judge who handled the Leandro case had
determined that to provide a sound education, the public school systems had to provide
competent and certified well-trained teachers, well-trained principals, and the resources
necessary to support the effective instruction of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
Majestic said the state had added another requirement, and this was the ABC Accountability
Standards. She said that on top of this, there were federal requirements (No Child Left Behind
and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
Superintendent Holliday said the school system's mission was aligned with the Leandro
ruling. (The mission is: "We will rigorously challenge all students to achieve their academic