Lancaster trustees reversed a $2 million buyout and voted to fireside former Superintendent Elijah Granger at a board assembly Tuesday night time.
The 4-3 determination comes on the finish of a tense month-and-a-half interval that began when board members issued Granger a brand new five-year, $1.6 million contract. However then trustees instantly purchased Granger out of that contract, with none said motive, lower than two weeks later.
A brand new board majority started to backtrack on the fee that district officers mentioned would drain Lancaster’s reserves. If the fee had gone via, the state would have docked the district practically $2 million in funding, officers estimated.
“That is in the perfect curiosity of the district for us to maneuver ahead and concentrate on tomorrow,” trustee Carolyn Ann Morris mentioned.
LaShonjia Harris, one of many board members who voted in opposition to rescinding the separation settlement and Granger’s firing, mentioned the superintendent didn’t do something to warrant termination.
Granger declined to remark Tuesday night time.
Earlier this month, Choose Tonya Parker granted a brief injunction, halting the payout till a minimum of subsequent October. In late November, Lancaster trustees instructed district attorneys to renegotiate the severance settlement with Granger.
Nonetheless, as an alternative of renegotiating, trustees voted 4-3 to start termination proceedings for Granger. The district will begin the method by sending a letter to Granger with the board’s causes for termination, a Lancaster lawyer mentioned.
Granger can contest the termination and request a listening to earlier than the Texas Schooling Company. The TEA can also be investigating the district relating to the superintendent buyout.
Trustees didn’t elaborate on why they wished to fireside Granger. Board president Marion Hamilton informed The Dallas Morning Information that info wouldn’t be publicly accessible till Granger acquired it and had the chance to attraction.
Trustees additionally voted to hunt proposals from forensic auditors however didn’t outline the scope of the potential audit. Board member Ty G. Jones emphasised that the transfer would permit trustees to be extra clear with the general public about potential points within the district.
Keep related to the most recent in schooling by signing up for our weekly e-newsletter.
The DMN Schooling Lab deepens the protection and dialog about pressing schooling points important to the way forward for North Texas.
The DMN Schooling Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with help from The Beck Group, Bobby and Lottye Lyle, The Communities Basis of Texas, The Dallas Basis, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, The Meadows Basis, Options Journalism Community, Southern Methodist College and Todd A. Williams Household Basis. The Dallas Morning Information retains full editorial management of the Schooling Lab’s journalism.
