School Board Retreat

The Roane County News wrote an editorial and a headline news story questioning the school Board’s retreat this weekend to Pigeon Forge. The paper’s major question was as to whether or not the Board violated the state’s sunshine law and why the retreat was held at a remote location.

The retreat hardly was an attempt to do something in secret. In our January meeting this was discussed by the Board and three dates were discussed as the days to have the retreat. The specific dates were read in the meeting. Information on the retreat was also released to the media 48 hours prior to the event.

The retreat was only to discuss the school system building plan. There was no hidden agenda and certainly no business was going to be conducted.

Our school Board attorney, Chuck Cagle, who represents a large number of school systems in the state was contacted and informed of the opinion stated by the attorney that the Roane County News quoted and Mr. Cagle said absolutely that our Board did not violate our policy or the Sunshine Law.

So we are down to two attorney’s opinions and a splitting of hairs as to whether or not the Board retreat violated the Sunshine law. The Board discussed the retreat in a public Board meeting and met our own media notification policy. To me the intent was clear that the Board was not trying to do something illegal.

Now, what is debatable is whether or not to have a meeting at a remote location is a good thing. Here we are getting into philosophical debate. This is not a legal issue.

I personally like to get away from the influence of local distractions when I want to really concentrate on an issue. Others may feel differently, but I wonder if they were in the same position how they would feel. It isn’t like the Board went to a large extravagant hotel and convention center. A modest motel in Pigeon Forge was the location chosen, and I think most Board members simply went right to the retreat and went right home afterwards.