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Union County Puts School Super Back to Work

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After nearly a year, Wayne Goforth will return to work as the superintendent of the Union County school system, reports the News Sentinel.
In February, the school board voted that six administrative charges filed against Goforth were cause to terminate his contract. Those charges alleged that Goforth was inefficient in carrying out his duties as superintendent. But on Monday night, the school board, with two new members, ultimately decided to put him back to work.
Goforth became director of the Union County Schools in 2008, when he signed a four-year contract that calls for an annual salary of $86,000. His contract ends in June. He has been on administrative leave with pay since his October suspension.
…Oaks said he voted to put Goforth back to work because the school system is financially strapped and has already lost nearly $40,000 in legal fees on the issue.
Oaks said he couldn’t support buying out the contract of Goforth when “we’re not able to buy textbooks.”

School Board Says Union County School Super is Incompetent

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Union County Schools Superintendent Wayne Goforth has been charged with six administrative counts of neglecting his duties, reports the News Sentinel.
It is alleged that he is “incompetent to carry out the duties of his office,” according to documents prepared by the Union County school board attorney and given to the Union County school board this week.
At its Oct. 19 meeting, the board voted 4-3 to suspend Goforth for 15 days without pay.
….The charges, none which are criminal-based, allege that Goforth is inefficient to carry out his duties as superintendent and neglected his duty by:
not correctly soliciting bids for items purchased
accumulating unpaid debts
approving expenditures above appropriations approved by the school board
approving and writing checks when there was no money in the bank
misrepresenting the board in a letter that went out to the Union County Commission
“His continued lack of ability to manage finances demonstrates his incompetency to do his job,” according to the charging documents.

Officials Mum on Suspension of Union County School Chief

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Union County officials have been tight lipped on about why Union County School Superintendent Wayne Goforth was suspended this week without pay for 15 days, reports the News Sentinel.
Further, Goforth’s attorney has filed a lawsuit against the school board. Goforth is asking the court to void the suspension, remove the four board members from office and require the defendants personally pay his salary during the suspension.
(Note: As far as statewide news goes, the most prominent thing about Goforth has been his involvement in securing a contract for Union County serving as the center for operation of a virtual schools program, as authorized by legislation approved earlier this year. K-12 Inc. gets about $5,300 per student enrolled; Union County gets 4 percent of that. Previous posts HERE and HERE, for example.)
From the KNS report:
Brian Oaks, the school board’s chairman, said Thursday the board’s attorney is looking at a couple issues, but wouldn’t elaborate on what they were. But, he said, the suspension is not a result of the district’s budget woes.
For months, the board has been trying to balance its budget for next school year, only approving one Wednesday night — during the same meeting it suspended Goforth — that would keep schools open.
“We’re out of money. We’re depending on state and federal moneys,” Oaks said. “To suspend Mr. Goforth had nothing to do with the budget. It’s just an investigation being done by our attorney.”
Goforth became director of the Union County Schools in 2008, when he signed a four-year contract.
He has been advised by his attorney, Herbert S. Moncier, not to discuss the suspension.
Moncier said Thursday he still hadn’t received any information on the pending charges.
“There is no provision of the law for them to do what they did (Wednesday) night,” he said. “We knew in September they were putting on the docket to terminate him. We didn’t know, and still don’t know, any of the grounds.”
… (Board Chairman Mark) DeVault didn’t comment specifically on the what the charges are against Goforth, but said there could be a combination of things that led up to the suspension.
“But more speculation leads to more speculation and more problems,” he said. “I pray and hope we can work this out but it could get worse before it gets better.”
DeVault didn’t comment specifically on the what the charges are against Goforth, but said there could be a combination of things that led up to the suspension.
“But more speculation leads to more speculation and more problems,” he said. “I pray and hope we can work this out but it could get worse before it gets better.”

Some Students Denied Transfer to New ‘Virtual School’

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The superintendent of Union County schools, who oversees a new “virtual school” operation operated by a private company under a new state law, tells Andy Sher that some other school systems are not approving transfers of their students to the virtual school. In issue are students who missed a deadline.
As previously reported, more than 1,000 students seeking to enroll in the virtual school have been unable to do so for one reason or another. Denial of transfer is one reason.
Under state law, (Superintendent Wayne) Goforth said, students seeking to transfer after the open enrollment date “have to seek the approval of the sending district, and that has caused us a lot of ups and downs.”
“A lot of times the directors don’t want to give permission for them to leave,” Goforth said. “And that’s their choice. I guess they don’t want to lose their [state] funding because in Tennessee, the funding follows the child.”
He estimated the county receives about $5,300 in state funds for every child who attends the Tennessee Virtual Academy. Goforth said he hears from parents that “one of the main” systems denying approval of late transfers is the Hamilton County schools system.
Hamilton County Schools Director Rick Smith said he has denied approving the transfers of 14 students, who were enrolled in the local school system last year, because their applications were late.
He said he only got an email from Goforth on Aug. 6 — days after the July 24 transfer deadline — listing 26 students seeking a late transfer.
Twelve had not been public school students at all, Smith said, and presumably had attended private schools or were being home-schooled. He said he had no authority regarding them.
Smith said after talking to parents of students and parents of those outside the public school system, he learned that families learned about the Tennessee Virtual Academy at various times following an advertising and promotion push by K12.
Smith said the district abides by deadlines for Hamilton County parents wishing to get their children into the system’s highly desirable magnet schools. It should be no different in approving late transfers.
He noted he has no idea how many local students might have applied and enrolled in the Tennessee Virtual Academy prior to the July 24 deadline. The system has no power over their transfer, he said.