From the Concord Monitor
She says colleague drove decision to go
After a year and a half of rancorous conflict with another board member, Hillsboro-Deering School Board Chairwoman Babette Haley resigned from the board this week.
Haley, who had served on the school board since 2001, said she was driven to leave because of constant disputes with John Segedy, who was elected to the board last year. For months, the two sparred over all aspects of the board’s business, including details like the proper method for recording meeting minutes as well as the larger relationship between the board and the school district administration.
In an interview yesterday, Haley described Segedy as a rude and disruptive force who made it impossible for the school board to make progress and who started unnecessary fights with district administrators.
“In my opinion, his actions have been extremely destructive,” Haley said. “He has divided the board, so there’s no strong unified support for the work of the administration. As the chair, I am continually being opposed, and he’s continually attempting to overrule me. The board has become very unstable and unproductive, and we really struggle to just get the basic work done.”
Over much of the past year, current and former school board members and district administrators have criticized Segedy as disrespectful and obstructive. Segedy did not dispute that he and Haley had trouble getting along. But he said the disagreement was more one of philosophical differences. Segedy said the greater disagreement lay between him and Superintendent Barbara Baker.
“There certainly has been rudeness on both sides,” Segedy said. “I personally feel I was more responding to the superintendent more than to (Haley). I think it comes down to the fact that I’m one of the few that has stood up to her. Babette, she’d tell me to be quiet, even though I’m a board member. I cannot recall her even telling the superintendent to be quiet.”
Other board members and district administrators said they were saddened by Haley’s departure.
“It’s been a challenge for a year and a half now, for her and for others,” said board member Pam Butler. “It’s just a shame that we haven’t been able to stop all of the negativity and focus on what really needs to be done.”
Board members said they would seek applications from the public to fill Haley’s seat until the next school board election in March.
The disputes that led to Haley’s resignation were both mundane and significant. Segedy often allied with board member Paul Plater to challenge Haley’s rulings. The two taped board meetings for their own records and would routinely seek to amend official minutes of the meetings, delaying other action. Often, Segedy would be the only board member to vote against adjourning the meeting.
Segedy and Haley also held sharply different opinions about the board’s role in school affairs, leading to dispute at meetings. Segedy said he viewed the board’s responsibility as providing a forum for dissenting opinions and holding school officials accountable.
“Babette’s philosophy has been to basically let the superintendent and administration have free reign,” he said. “Mine is more of a management philosophy. I have no interest in counting pencils or things like that, but I think it’s the board’s job to oversee major new programs and know about them before they’re instituted.”
Most recently, Segedy pushed for the board to hear grievances from two sets of parents. One set of parents opposes the district’s recent decision to educate their son in the district, rather than at Crotched Mountain School, a school for disabled students. The other case involves a complaint from two parents against a district employee.
Segedy said he wanted the board to hear from the parents as a way for them to air their grievances.
“In many cases, in things having to do with school, the board is the last stop for a parent who has a disagreement,” he said.
But Haley and Baker said the school board was treading on dangerous territory by getting involved in legal disputes between parents and the district.
“There is a legal process for these cases, and the district is following them,” Baker said. “The board doesn’t understand its boundaries about what it should and shouldn’t be hearing. And they don’t understand the boundaries that they’re not hired to manage the district.”
Rick Nannicelli, principal of Hillsboro-Deering Middle School, said he was disappointed by Haley’s resignation.
“I have a lot of respect for Babette,” Nannicelli said. “I saw her work really hard to try to lead our school board. I was certainly aware that it wasn’t an easy feat.”
He said he hoped her resignation would spur a change in the board’s tone, but he too was critical of Segedy.
“He has worked tirelessly at mustering others who have an ax to grind with the school district and have those people work with him to try and disrupt us from doing our jobs,” Nannicelli said. “If you disagree with him, he becomes angry, and he doesn’t think any of us have the best interests of students in mind. There’s a constant underlying theme of distrust.”
As for how the board progresses, most involved in the matter said that would depend on Haley’s replacement.
“The other three board members, I can’t recall getting wound up with any of them,” Segedy said. “We don’t agree on everything by any means. And as far as whether the superintendent will tone it down, I don’t know. That will depend on whether the board is willing to make her do so.”
Several people in attendance at Monday’s school board meeting said Segedy shouted with joy when Haley announced her resignation. Asked about this yesterday, Segedy said, “Maybe it was some happiness, maybe some relief. It just came out.”
CNHT Notes: The school board is the only representation taxpayers have of their concerns. If the school board cannot intervene in important matters such as programs and placements, then where can taxpayers turn?