THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 24, 1996 TAG: 9603230123
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
DATELINE: KEVIN ARMSTRONG LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
The game of musical chairs has begun in the school district.
Let's hope that the healing starts along with it.
The School Board, City Council and school superintendent all took giant steps last week to bring hope to our troubled community.
I wonder how many citizens had time to track the movement.
Let's start with the departures:
Mordecai Smith, the beleaguered soul behind the district's finances, resigned Tuesday as budget development director. Although the School Board had voted to reinstate Smith, it seems that the votes had changed last week, and he decided to step down rather than face being fired by the board.
Elsie Barnes, Ulysses Van Spiva and Adm. D. Linn Felt stepped down from the School Board after Tuesday's meeting. Barnes' and Spiva's seats will be filled by the Circuit Court; Felt's replacement will come by way of the City Council.
Those folks are officially gone. A few others will follow soon:
June Kernutt, chairwoman of the board, will step down May 7, the same day voters go to the polls.
Joe Taylor also will leave May 7. He also will be replaced by the City Council.
Now let's examine who's coming in to fill these spots:
Giles Dodd, formerly assistant city manager for finances in Virginia Beach, has been hired on an interim basis to serve as the school district's chief financial officer. He has been working for the past three years in Greenville, S.C., under Aubrey Watts, the former city manager in Virginia Beach. Keep in mind that Tim Jenney, our new school superintendent, came here last month from Greenville and already knew Dodd. The good news is that Dodd earned an impeccable reputation over the years for his financial prowess. The bad news is that he has agreed to serve only until June 30 as the school district's CFO.
Fred Benham, formerly the school district's deputy superintendent for personnel and financial services, has been nominated by the City Council to fill Taylor's School Board seat after May 7. Benham joined the Beach district in 1980. He retired in June 1993 while serving under Sidney Faucette. Like Dodd, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the district, but he will fill the at-large board seat only until June 30.
Tom Fraim, leader of the Sandbridge coalition, has been nominated by the City Council to fill the Princess Anne Borough seat on the board already vacated by Robert Hall. He could take that seat as early as April 9, but, again, he can serve only until June 30.
Buddy Riggs, a former City Council member who has been involved in Beach politics since merger, has been nominated by the council to fill the Beach Borough seat until June 30.
Delceno Miles, who had run unsuccessfully several times for the City Council, officially joined the School Board on Tuesday after being appointed by the council. She will hold onto that seat for four years because she is the only council appointment on the May 7 ballot and is unopposed.
All of that movement took place just last week. More is in store:
On April 1, the Virginia Beach grand jury will convene as it does on the first Monday of each month. That jury will decide whether to indict School Board members Tim Jackson and Ferdinand Tolentino on misdemeanor charges of malfeasance.
April 15 marks the final day, by state law, that Superintendent Jenney must notify any school employees if their contracts won't be renewed or if they will be changed significantly.
Beyond that, the Circuit Court judges have three seats to fill.
On May 7, the rest of us have our say. We must select seven qualified board members from a field of 49 candidates.
The music plays on. . . . by CNB