Baker board defers principals’ shuffle

• By CHUCK HUSTMYRE
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: May 21, 2008 - Page: 3B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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BAKER — The School Board dealt Superintendent Chris Bowman a setback Tuesday by voting to send a key personnel recommendation he made to committee rather than grant approval.

Bowman asked for board approval to reassign Park Ridge Elementary School Principal Mary Hagan to the alternative school and replace her with interim principal Beverly Collins, the assistant principal at Baker Middle School.

Last month, fourth-grade students at Park Ridge ranked last in the state on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program test.

The board voted 3-2 to send the recommendation to its Education and Personnel Committee on a motion by member Doris Alexander. Members George Gallman and Jane Freudenberger opposed the motion.

Bowman recommended the committee meet this week. “I think the public is demanding that we change things,” he said.

However, Alexander, who sits on the committee, said she couldn’t meet this week. She said she would try to schedule a meeting next week and have a recommendation for the board by its next meeting on June 3.

Several teachers from Park Ridge attended Tuesday’s meeting to show support for Hagan, who was not at the meeting.

The board also heard a presentation from newly appointed Baker High School athletic director Tommy Spillman, who asked for significant improvements to the school’s athletic department and facilities.

“Our facilities are terrible, about to the point where they are embarrassing,” Spillman said.

Baker High’s athletic facilities haven’t seen any upgrade in years, Spillman said. Last year, Zachary High School spent $5 million on its athletic program.

“I’m not asking you for $5 million,” Spillman said, “I’m just asking you for a little help to show people that we’re trying to improve things.”

Spillman also asked the board for the authority to appoint an academic coach to monitor student athletes’ grades and schedule study halls to ensure they maintain good grades and their eligibility to play.

Following the athletic director’s plea, the board voted to send Spillman’s suggestions to the board’s Finance and Long-range Planning Committees for consideration.