SAD #20 School Board Discusses Recent Varsity Boys Basketball Coach Hiring Process

By:  David Deschesne

Fort Fairfield Journal, August 6, 2014

    The MSAD #20 school board recently discussed the coach hiring procedure after they voted against a specially formed selection committee's nomination for High School Boys Varsity Basketball coach.  After the board initially voted against veteran coach, Todd Alley for that position, a selection committee composed of seven people from the school administration and community at large was formed to select a new candidate.  The selection committee then offered Alley's name as their recommendation for the coach position, which was subsequently denied by a tied vote of the school board.

   Before voting on a new candidate, the school board discussed the coach selection process and how it could have been done differently.

   Speaking as a community member during public comment period, Nancy Rogeski reminded the school board to consider their power.  “What concerns me is the recent action, or lack of action, of the board when names are brought for approval,” Rogeski said.  “I would ask you to consider that while you certainly do have the power to disapprove appointment of personnel, I believe you do have a greater responsibility to approve appointments who are brought to you by a committee of well respected staff and community members who have the best interests of our school in mind when they bring nominations to you.  Failure to approve these nominations is very likely to create further sense that our board is not supporting our administration and I don't feel that is what you intend.  It is imperative that we regroup and share our support for one another.  This is the only way that our school system is going to continue to be a close-knit, quality facility out to serve the schools of Fort Fairfield in the best way we know how.” 

   “I think we all own a little part of this coaching selection situation.  Some of us should have been a little more vocal in our support and others that opposed for whatever reason the selection committee or the results of the selection committee maybe that could have been more vocalized prior to the last vote,” said school board member, Karen Reynolds.  “In moving forward I hope we as a board have a clear plan when parents or community members have objections with the coach's style that it will not reach board status in the future and for this [new] candidate's sake and the community itself that expectations, evaluations, chain of command is used.  It's highly doubtful that we could get a selection committee to form again, I think we've lost some credibility there.  As a board, too, I think we have to decide if there is a selection committee if we need to delegate who we want to send, whether or not their role is to vote or simply to observe.  It, again, may just be a matter of lack of clarity.” 

    “As a board we charged Tim (Watt) with getting a committee together for interviewing, that was the right process,” said school board member, Joe Cassidy.  “He picked people that weren't biased, in my opinion.  They went through the process and you (the board) didn't accept the nomination.  To me, the community spoke.  We were elected to represent the community - they were the community and for whatever reason, that I still have zero idea why, we didn't accept it. At this point there's been absolutely no explanation to the public about why we disregarded the committee.  I've talked to three people on the committee and they confirmed for me they thought it was fair and appropriate on all levels.  They didn't feel biased.  Why did we ask for a committee if we weren't going to follow them?  We had seven people spend many hours in the process volunteering their time  and to me it seems like a wasted effort on their part.” 

   Cassidy noted that the board's actions have already taken a toll on the athletes.  “We've missed two opportunities for summer camp and only a few players showed up at Tiger Basketball camp, to my knowledge.  There's been no explanation as to why the committee's choice was not accepted.” 

   School Board member, Scott Clark, who had voted against the nomination committee's selection at the last school board vote, said he had received information from two of the committee members that seemed to indicate the process was in some way skewed and given that information, he could not vote to approve their nomination.