U-235 declines renewal for WBE principal

UNIONTOWN -- On Monday, the USD 235 Board of Education voted to not renew the contracts of long-time administrator Marianna Daugherty and third-year Uniontown High School teacher Brooke Belcher.

During their regular meeting, the board voted unanimously to not renew either staff member's contract for the 2009-10 school year. Daugherty, a 30-year employee of the district, has spent the last 11 years serving as principal of West Bourbon Elementary School and is currently serving a one-year contract. Belcher is a third-year, non-tenured science teacher at UHS.

USD 235 Superintendent Randy Rockhold attributed district budget issues, a recent decline in district enrollment and state aid per student, and a weak economy to the release of both staff members.

"I think the world of Marianna," he said. "She's a quality educator. But we have limitations because of funding. It's heartbreaking to have to eliminate staff. I hate it. They do a great job. It's a shame when quality people have to be eliminated. But base cuts combined with losing kids, the problem just compounds itself. Marianna is a good teacher. Brooke is a good teacher. I hate this. It makes me sick to my stomach."

Rockhold added that he and the board had reviewed the district's recent budget situation very closely before researching which positions could potentially be eliminated in order to save the district money in the future.

"We, like all school districts, are facing financial difficulties," he said. "We develop plans to meet our students needs and be solid financially. There's only one issue here; we have a financial situation. We are a small school district and when you talk about releasing a teacher, it's hard. But there are very, very few places a district our size can make cuts."

When contacted at WBE on Wednesday, a tearful Daugherty said she was told last week by Rockhold that the board's intention was to not renew her contract because of district financial problems, but she feels she is being released for different reasons.

"Randy (Rockhold) told me it was a money issue," she said. "I don't believe that. I think there are other ways we could have handled this, and none of those were explored. I feel like this (decision) was made by Mr. Rockhold for personal reasons. He's using the state of the economy as an opportunity to get what he wants. He didn't offer suggestions for how this could be avoided."

Daugherty said that she was also upset when she learned about her possible dismissal through a rumor that circulated through the community a few weeks ago.

During the Monday meeting, several WBE teachers were present to support Daugherty and to urge the board to explore other options for fixing district financial troubles before making a decision to discontinue Daugherty's contract.

WBE teacher Janet Jackson read a letter of support for Daugherty to the board.

"We are here to show our support for Marianna Daugherty," the letter said. "Marianna is a superior educational leader. She has vast understanding of effective reading instruction and good overall understanding of the educational needs of elementary children. Her leadership and guidance have been a main factor in West Bourbon Elementary's success in meeting AYP. The reputation of our school and its teachers can be directly attributed to Mrs. Daugherty's leadership and guidance. We as an educational team feel strongly about her many contributions to our success."

Daugherty, who has spent her entire education career working in Uniontown, served as a teacher in the district for 19 years before beginning her stint as principal.

"I'm really going to miss the teachers, staff and students in the community," she said. "Most of the people in this building are like family to me."

Daugherty added that she soon plans to use her option to speak with the board about their decision to terminate her contract. During that meeting, which would be held in closed session, board members can inform her of the reason or reasons behind their decision to end her contract, and Daugherty will also have a chance to respond. Both Daugherty and Belcher are expected to also receive written notice from the board by May 1 on the board's decision to not renew their respective contracts.

Rockhold said that district officials do not plan to hire a replacement for Daugherty, who will finish out the remainder of the school year. After that, the district will operate with two administrators rather than three. Rockhold said he and UHS Principal Tracy Smith will absorb Daugherty's administrative duties next year.

Belcher, who will also finish out the school year, was not available for comment on this story as of press time.