A Resignation Is In Order
POTTSTOWN, PA – We just can’t say any simpler…in the best interest of the Pottstown taxpayers, Pottstown School Board President Rick Huss needs to resign.
In light of the revelations this week of the secret school board meetings held at Huss’ Feist Avenue home last year and board member Thomas “I’m pretty familiar with the Sunshine Law” Hylton’s own admission that the Neighborhood Schools Committee, which Hylton chairs, met as a quorum and took official action in a non-public forum, it’s time for Huss to do what’s best for the taxpayers of Pottstown and resign. Huss is an ethical disgrace and his inability to lead the board in a positive direction continues to be a black eye for Pottstown. Not to mention the fact that Huss has been on the Pottstown school board for over 14 years. What are Huss’ accomplishments for all those years? Are our school test scores any better? Are our schools in better shape now than before Huss took office? In 14+ years as a board member, Huss has had PLENTY of opportunities to turn this district around. And he’s failed miserably.
Hylton’s Neighborhood Schools Committee actions admitted this week are a direct violation of Section 704 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act.
Section 704 of the Act reads as follows: “Official action and deliberations by a quorum of the members of an agency shall take place at a meeting open to the public unless closed under section 707 (relating to exceptions to open meetings), 708 (relating to executive sessions) or 712 (relating to General Assembly meetings covered).”
The Neighborhood Schools Committee, consisting of Hylton and fellow board members Valerie Harris and Nat White, all took official action and deliberations to reorganize the Pottstown district schools, without any public input or input from the school board as a whole.
But wait a minute, you ask. Didn’t something like this just happen in the Phoenixville Area School District? Why yes, it did. And as a result of their acrimonious situation, the PASD School Board Vice President Lisa Starczewski tendered her resignation in January.
Take a moment to read this August 2009 reader letter posted on The Phoenix’s website:
Phoenixville Board needs to focus on students
Goodness gracious! Talk about déjà vu! A quorum of three committee members of a school board met outside of a public forum to discuss official school board business? A board that needs to focus on the students? Hmmm. Sounds kinda familiar doesn’t it?
It’s time for Board President Rick Huss to resign. Our children and the Pottstown taxpayers deserve better.
There are some things to be considered, I would think, before calling for Huss’ resignation…
1. While the meetings at the Huss home last year may have been in violation of the intent of the Sunshine Law, they were not in violation of the letter of the law as no agency quorum was present.
2. There are outstanding school board members across the state who have accomplished much for their respective districts. However, if individual accomplishment were a measure of board eligibility, almost every district in the state would find it extremely difficult to find nine, ore even seven or eight, qualified members. Mostly, boards accomplish things by acting together – admittedly a process that is currently lacking in Pottstown.
3. As for a committee meeting of three board members constituting a violation of the law, I think we need to wait for the legal opinion to be rendered. That question was never really answered in Pheonixville, as far as I know. However there has to be case law on this issue. The answer should not be hard to definitively determine without a court challenge. I’d rather wait for the legal opinion before speculating on that issue.
4. I doubt if Huss will resign. However let’s assume for a minute that he does. How would the board find a replacement. Every candidate would be a split vote with Hylton and his three minions voting for some lackey that Hylton can control, while the other four vote for someone else. Eventually the issue would be decided by a judge. Who would that judge appoint? Are we better off with the proverbial “Devil we know”? I don’t know the answer, but like I said, it deserves consideration.
As long as the solicitor sides with “The Beave” Huss he will not resign. Behind every successful man there is a Hylton to push him (well not every man just a few on the SB).