A few members of the community on Tuesday night asked the Haines school board to consider adopting a local hiring preference for teachers.
The board heard public comment regarding the recent hiring of new teachers. A local candidate who was hired on a one-year contract to teach fourth-grade was passed over for the permanent fourth-grade teaching position. Lexi DeWitt had applied for the position after one year working as an aide and another as a one-year contracted teacher. DeWitt’s mother-in-law, Toni DeWitt, read a statement at the meeting and also read aloud two letters of support for Lexi from Debra Schnabel and Heather Lende.
Toni described Lexi’s teaching qualifications while also emphasizing her family’s long-standing ties to the Haines area.
“I could say our family is as deeply rooted in this community as the mighty spruce,” Toni said.
Toni’s husband, Charlie, had started a petition in support of Lexi and of adopting local preference hiring practices. The petition received 155 signatures, but was abandoned, Toni said, “after we were warned that too much fuss would be bad for Lexi.”
Toni said Lexi, who did not attend the meeting, continues to further her teaching education and hopes to find another job in her field.
“I only hope it is in Haines,” Toni said.
The board also reviewed the letters from Schnabel and Lende. Schnabel wrote, “I am requesting that the Haines Borough School District consider a policy that directs hiring committees to validate the performance evaluations of staff in temporary positions who have applied for permanent status.”
Lende asked in her letter that the board reconsider the committee’s recommendation on its hire. “I feel strongly that Ms. DeWitt is a good teacher and an asset to the Haines School and community who has not been treated fairly by a committee representing the school district.”
While there was no formal action up for discussion or vote, a few members of the board responded to Toni’s comments and the letters. Superintendent Michael Byer said there were 37 applicants total for the position, including five locals.
“I know this whole thing has been very wrenching for people and heartbreaking for some,” he said.
But, he said, the hiring committee’s decision was unanimous and absent any wrongdoing or violation of policy and procedure, the decision should be respected.
Byer said that of 17 teachers hired in the last several years, eight had a local connection to Haines. Another six were from elsewhere in Alaska.
Byer said the law and policies against discrimination in employment do not instruct committees to prefer local candidates. Byer said in conferring with the district’s lawyer, if a local hire policy were instituted “such a policy will likely increase potential employment liability exposure.”
Board president Carol Kelly closed the discussion by reminding the board that if any member wished to offer a change to any policies or procedures, she would put the matter on August’s meeting agenda.
In other business, Byer gave a facilities update of the many projects going on while school is out for the summer. Two projects – roof repairs and creating a drainage ditch near the back of the building – are being conducted by the borough. Both projects were approved by the borough assembly as the school board was meeting.
The school board entered executive session to discuss negotiated agreements with the certified and classified staff and to discuss Byer’s evaluation.