OZARK, MO — Last night, April 12, was the first meeting with 3 new Ozark School Board members. And boy, it was a doozy!
Dr. B steps down suddenly
The action started even before the newbies were sworn in. Dr. Chris Bauman, superintendent, announced his retirement effective June 30 officially, but in practicality, that means right now. He’s gonna spend time with his wife, who has terminal cancer.
I agree with his family time. If it were my wife, I’d retire, too, to spend her last days together. Family is more important than any job.
The Old Guard named an interim superintendent, Lori Wilson, who is the district CFO and assistant superintendent currently, to fill in for a calendar year, officially from June 30, 2023 until June 30, 2024.
Fun Fact: Even if the new board had been in on the decision to appoint an interim superintendent, the result would have been the same. Lori is the best choice for now.
“When the new board members were told of Dr. Bauman’s immediate retirement, their jaws dropped,” a school board member told the CCT.
New Officer Surprise!!!
Once the 3 newbies were sworn in (Christina Tonsing, Guy Callaway, and Amber Bryant) and the three “Old Guard” stepped down (Jeff Laney, Tom Bass, and Shane Nelson) it was time to select new officers.
Patty Quessenberry, board vice president, who has been on the board for umpteen jillion years, was in line to be president this year. But lo and behold, the new board had a lil’ surprise. Guy Callaway made a motion to retain current Board President Sarah Adams-Orr as the president for another year, seconded by Christina Tonsing. Now it was Patty’s turn to have her jaw drop.
Mark Jenkins was in line to be v.p., and he got it, all in favor, ‘cept for a now spiteful Patty Q. Her “no” vote only made her feel vindicated, but did nothing. The board wants Mark to be president. But, rumor has it, he doesn’t need the extra responsibility because well, he’s already a bank president at the Bank of Billings, and with the economy going down the toilet because of the Democrats, he’ll have his hands full with that mess.
Anyway, the board backs Mark and wants him to be prez, so the word on the street goes. And, that’s good. He’s a sensible guy. For now, Sarah will be in place to handle the heavy lifting on paperwork and procedures while the new board members get their feet wet.
Other board officers include Lori Wilson, treasurer; and Ashli Price, secretary, but those are already the case.
Dumb decisions and gaslighting!
Early last year, before being elected to the school board, Christina Tonsing formed a concerned citizens group known as Ozark MO School District Awareness, to hold current administration accountable for abuses of power against teachers, as well as building maintenance and funding issues not being disclosed properly to the public.
One board member even said the public was “gaslighted” into answering a survey slanted in favor of what the district administration wanted, which was a poor use of tax dollars in lieu of future building needs.
Slapping up “storm shelters” is not the answer. The ‘storm shelters’ that are seeing the public ground breaking hooplas lately are merely misuses of tax dollars because the district will need more buildings.
With the eventual crash of the economy this year or next, the district will be strapped financially, thanks to Democrats in the White House and dunderheads in Jeff City.
Shocker from Bauman regarding adversary Tonsing
Here’s a shocker: Dr. Bauman, the subject of Tonsing’s ongoing war with administration, was not the reason he stepped down, sources say. “I think she (Christina Tonsing) will be a good addition to the district,” Bauman told reliable sources. Well, now, that’s the smartest thing I’ve heard about him.
Bauman will get a severance package but won’t get his continued salary after June 30.
Mark Jenkins said the district is going to seek a new superintendent between August and December of 2023, because that’s when superintendent contracts are open. “We’d have been in a real pinch if Lori (Wilson) hadn’t been available (as interim super for a year), because all other superintendents are out of contract options right now,” Jenkins said.
The district will hire a firm to investigate nationwide superintendents when the time is right; though current assistant superintendents and CFO Lori Wilson are also eligible to apply.
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