Dear Editor:

Last week's Herald Independent featured a story about the school board in which the chair called for unity. What a joke!

Neither the chair nor her comrades who make up the current board majority want unity. What they want is for everyone else to fall in line behind their personal agendas. And they will run roughshod over anyone who gets in their way.

I should know. Just last month, Madame Chair took it upon herself to abuse her power and request that the SC Ethics Commission investigate me.

The reason? I did a good deed. I applied for, and received, a $1000 Wal-Mart grant, which was used to reward high-achieving students. The chair alleged that I was misappropriating district funds. The Ethics Commission, however, quickly rejected her request.

Now the chair, on the spur of the moment, called a special board meeting for Thursday. July 16. That is just three business days before our next regularly scheduled meeting on July 21.

When I asked why we need to meet, I was told the agenda was so confidential that she couldn't even tell me what it was.

Spur-of-the-moment meetings often conflict with board members' work schedules and other commitments, making it impossible for all members to attend. Self-serving chairpersons use these "called" meeting to bring up controversial subjects when only like-minded members can attend. It is a disgusting practice, and it most certainly does NOT encourage unity.

I suspect the reason for this July 16 meeting is to "do in" the superintendent, Dr. Ingram. They may also take action against several other key administrators, many of whom have loyally served this district for years. The board does not have enough votes to fire the superintendent unless they can drum-up some cause. So they will likely demote her, hoping she will quit.

This board is portraying these actions as cost cutting. Well consider this: Should the board succeed in demoting Dr. Ingram to a teacher, or principal, as it is rumored they will do, and the meeting on Thursday will show if this is so or not, the district must continue paying Dr. Ingram $150,000 a year to serve in a demoted position. If the board makes Dr. Ingram a teacher, her principal must make $150,001, because principals’ salaries must be higher than those of any other employee in their school.

The total cost of demoting the superintendent without cause --$300,000. That's obscene. If Dr. Ingram sues the district, who knows what the total cost might be. It could be millions.

Additionally, the board has, without cause, non-renewed the contracts of assistant superintendents, claiming they are cutting those positions. In reality, I think they are just changing the titles to "directors" and filling those jobs with their cronies.

Vindictiveness, unwarranted dismissals of employees, promotions and raises for friends and family members - these are the practices going on today.

Neither I, nor several other board members, will ever unify behind that.at agenda. That agenda does NOT serve our students, and it does not serve our community. And I will not support it.

Hon. Henry Miller

School Board member