By Lynn Kutter
ENTERPRISE-LEADER
LINCOLN -- After advice from two attorneys, members of the Lincoln School Board have decided to continue looking for someone to fill a vacant position on the board.
Brian Key, school resource officer and assistant police chief with Lincoln Police Department, is the only person who has expressed an interest in the Zone 1 board position.
However, the school's attorney and an attorney with the Arkansas School Board Association have advised against having the school resource officer also serve as a member of the board.
In a work session last week, Superintendent Mary Ann Spears said the school's attorney told her, "We need to be careful with a school resource officer."
The main concern is that Key would have to recuse himself from voting on any board decisions that involved the Police Department, Spears said.
"In the long haul, that means 20 percent of our board would not be a full participant," Spears said.
Key has volunteered to resign as school resource officer, but Spears said three officers are on duty during the day and if an emergency comes up, Key may have to respond to the call.
"I think it's a bad idea," said board President Dax Moreton, adding that he didn't think a board member should be working day to day in the school. "We have a really good school resource officer and I would hate to lose a good addition to the school."
Moreton said he thought Key would be a good board member but doesn't want the school resource officer position to be in jeopardy.
"The long and short of it is that if we put Brian on the board, we would not have a resource officer," Moreton noted.
Board member Kendra Moore added, "It feels like a lot of liability and we're taking someone out of a very important role in the school system."
Board member Connie Meyer, noting Key is very interested in serving, said he thought it would be a disservice to Key if the board appointed someone else.
Moore previously served as the Zone 1 board member. Since being elected, she has moved to a new house located in Zone 3. Legally, Moore could have continued to serve out her term, but instead filed to run for Zone 3 in the Sept. 19 school election.
Nick Brewer, who was representing Zone 3, did not run for re-election.
When Moore was elected to the Zone 3 position, this left a vacancy in Zone 1.
The board thought they had to appoint someone to the Zone 1 position within 30 days of the Sept. 19 election, but learned last week they had more time. The 30 days is effective from when Moore is sworn into office for Zone 3. She did that on Oct. 11.
Moore said she has talked to one person who lives in Zone 1 who is interested but also is very busy this time of year. Moore said she would go back and talk to the person again.
"I think we can find a viable person," Moore said.
If the School Board does not appoint someone by the deadline, then the Washington County Quorum Court would appoint someone to fill the vacancy.
General News on 10/18/2017