The recent suspensions of a principal and a teacher at Cutter Morning Star for unspecified reasons were made by the district's administration, according to Superintendent Nancy Anderson.
The only motion taken by the Cutter Morning Star School Board during a special meeting on Oct. 11, according to minutes from the meeting, approved the district to hire an administrative substitute at a daily rate of pay based on the certified salary schedule as submitted by the superintendent. All five board members were in attendance.
Cutter Morning Star Elementary School Principal Jann Gibson was previously placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. An elementary physical education teacher and coach, who has not been identified, was also placed on administrative leave. The decisions did not require action by the board, according to Anderson.
Anderson emailed employees of the elementary school at 4:50 p.m. on Oct. 11 of a faculty meeting to be held at 7 p.m. that day in the district's teacher workroom. The Sentinel-Record submitted a request for the communication under Arkansas' Freedom of Information Act.
Multiple sources with the district and in the community told the newspaper complaints were filed with the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Law prohibits the DHS from confirming or denying the existence of maltreatment cases.
Terry Lawler was hired as a short-term replacement for Gibson. Lawler retired in January 2016 as principal of Langston Aerospace and Environmental Studies Magnet School in the Hot Springs School District.
An online petition started earlier this week on Change.org is still seeking signatures to request Anderson and the school board reinstate Gibson. The petition passed its goal of 200 signatures and included 231 signatures Friday afternoon with a new goal of 500.
The school board will hold its regular monthly meeting at Oct. 30 in the board room of the administration building, 2800 Spring St. The district will also present its annual report to the public during the meeting.
Local on 10/21/2017