EXCLUSIVE: Spotsylvania School Board places altered minutes on consent agenda
Board minutes on hold for more than a year are set for approval this Monday night. However, these meeting minutes differ from the minutes that were tabled in 2022.
by Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
Minutes for Spotsylvania School Board meetings have not been approved since October 2022.
This coming Monday night, the Board is set to finally approve nine sets of minutes from 2022. Included are some from three meetings in September that have been altered since they were first on the agenda for approval in November 2022.
For example, the original draft minutes for the September 12, 2022, meeting state that during public comments, then-Chair Kirk Twigg asked officers to remove one of the speakers, William Scheff, who was commenting on the appointment of Mark Taylor as superintendent.
The draft minutes for the September 12, 2022, meeting that appear on Monday night’s agenda, however, simply state, “Mr. William Scheff, Chancellor District, came to the podium to address the Board and his time was interrupted which resulted in one minute being added to the timer.”
The original draft minutes also state that another speaker, Erin Beardsley, was asked to leave the podium. This has been omitted from the version up for approval on Monday.
Road to blocking approval of minutes
At the November 14, 2022, meeting, the board was scheduled to approve minutes from meetings held on September 12, 15, 16 and 29, as well as October 10 as part of its consent agenda, as was routine.
But according to draft minutes from the November 14, 2022, meeting that the Advance received under a Freedom of Information Act request, Board member Lisa Phelps motioned to indefinitely table approval of those minutes “until administration provides more objectivity and accuracy.”
According to the video recording of the meeting, board member Dawn Shelley asked Phelps to share her specific concerns with the minutes.
Phelps did not provide specifics but said she believed the draft minutes as presented are “opinions and subjective.”
The draft minutes for those meetings, to which Phelps objected, are attached to the agenda for the Nov. 14, 2022, meeting - but they differ from the draft minutes for the same meetings that are attached to the agenda for Monday.
More alterations
Other changes to the draft minutes for the September 12, 2022, meeting include the removal of a comment Phelps made about a board member winning a car at a YMCA raffle, and the removal of a comment made by board member April Gillespie accusing board member Nicole Cole of being racist.
Several changes have also been made to the minutes for the September 15 meeting, at which the board went into closed session to discuss Taylor’s contract. The original draft minutes state that after returning from the closed session, the board discussed social media posts made to Taylor’s social media account expressing anti-LGBTQ and anti-public-school views.
The draft minutes attached to the agenda for Monday do not mention this discussion.
Changes to the minutes for the September 16 meeting include the removal of details of a discussion the board had concerning a letter from Taylor’s daughter expressing doubts about his ability to serve in the role of superintendent; the removal of some details concerning Shelley’s objection to entering into closed session to discuss Taylor’s contract; and the removal of specific points of concern expressed by Shelley, Cole and board member Lorita Daniels about some provisions in Taylor’s contract.
Monday’s meeting is the last time the board in its current iteration will meet.
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Ms. Uphaus continues to amaze me with her diligence in reporting. Kudos!
“Those who control the present, control the past and those who control the past control the future.”
― George Orwell, 1984
I wish someone would explain to the modern day iteration of the Republican Party, that when folks like Orwell were writing, I don't think they were doing so as a helpful how-to guide.....
Once again, smh.
Pity Spotsy, and how long they will be dealing with the stench of this mess.
Once again, thank you Ms Uphaus, for your diligence and clarity.
Truly the 4th estate is well served by your efforts.
Whatever they're paying you, it's not enough. But please stay anyway. Your work is appreciated.