GRAVETTE — The superintendent of Gravette School District submitted her resignation on Thursday, effective June 30.
The school board accepted Dr. Andrea Kelly’s resignation following a 25-minute executive session. Kelly attended a board meeting that started at 5 p.m. She did not join the executive session.
Five members of the sevenmember board - Susan Santos, John Edwards, Jim Singleton, Dan Alsup and board president Dan Yates - were present. Not attending were members Jim Hendren and Jack Skillett.
Kelly is completing four years as head of a district which serves approximately 1,800 students.
Following the meeting, Kelly issued a statement regarding the reasons for her resignation.
“As superintendent of schools, my departure from the Gravette School District and the communities served by the system is not a decision that was easy to make. The function of the superintendency requires one to maketough decisions about the operations of the district which are not always popular. If the Board is not supportive of the decisions of the superintendent and the leadership team, then a personal decision must be made relative to the best interests of employees in the district and more importantly, our students.”
"The school board supported Dr. Kelly in most of her decisions," Yates said. "There's not always complete agreement among all the board members, but that's to be expected."
The Eagle Observer attempted to contact Kelly for more information, but she was not in the office and available to answer questions before press time on Tuesday.
In her resignation, she noted that there are three areas in which the district should take pride.
“The district 1) remains in very strong financial position, 2) principals, classroom educators, Dr. Hastings and Donna Rush have developed a documentedcurriculum that aligns the content from kindergarten through twelfth grades, and 3) the district is a model in the state for the efforts undertaken to facilitate a smooth transition to the Common Core state standards. These accomplishments are the result of a dedicated, talented group of educators who believe in blazing new paths and making great things happen.
“I wish only the best for this district. My one main desire is that every child be given the opportunity to achieve success and inherit the same opportunity to reach for the stars as my parents and great teachers guided me to do.”
Her public statement offered additional insight into the relationship between her and the board.
“My hope is that the (members of the) Board of Education will take time to consider their role and relationship to their next superintendent and develop a well-defined candidate profile. I did not know until after I was hired thatthe superintendent of this district does not function as a team member in the board function. Very often the executive sessions of Gravette board meetings are longer than time spent in the regular session of the board. I was not allowed in the executive sessions unless invited, which is a practice I had not encountered in my previous position. Many of those executive sessions were conducted without an agenda of employment items for consideration.”
On Monday Yates, who did not know about Kelly’s statement until asked about it by an Eagle Observer reporter, addressed Kelly’s comment about not having an agenda.
“We’ve always had an agenda and only covered employment issues in executive sessions, matters of hiring, resignations, promotions, demotions and the like,” Yates said.
After reconvening in public and the unanimous vote to accept the resignation was taken, Yates expressed “the board’s appreciation for the time and leadership you have provided the district and now, as we all move forward, we hope for you the best.”
No board members made comments following the meeting.
Kelly, who began her position in Gravette in July 2008, was a 26-year veteran of educational experience in Oklahoma and was CEO/superintendent of Meridian Technology Center in Stillwater.
Kelly’s statement noted that she moved to Gravette “with the intentions of making this community my home. I leave with many fond memories.
“To Dan Yates, president of the board, and Jim Singleton, member of the board, I extend a debt of gratitude for their support and guidance through my employment in the district," Kelly wrote in her statement.
Singleton was school board president when she came to Gravette and Yates is the current board president.
“The Bella Vista, Gravette and surrounding communities in the school district are great communities tucked away in a beautiful corner of the state. I leave with many fond memories and am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of making a difference in the lives of our students.”
News, Pages 1 on 02/08/2012