Some Schools in Georgia Never Close Their Doors

Taking school business behind closed doors

By Michael Hughes Gainesville Times

GAINESVILLE -- In Northeast Georgia, some school districts go into closed session about as often as department stores have December sales.
According to a survey by The Times of Gainesville, 45 of 76 school board meetings' agendas during the past six months listed executive sessions, which are closed to the public.
In the last six months, Habersham and Dawson counties have closed part of every meeting, and Gwinnett County has closed part of every work session. Forsyth County has closed 12 of 15 meetings, including several work sessions.
Yet in 13 of the meetings surveyed, the boards scheduled an executive session, but did not actually go into one.
Some districts, such as Gainesville, list an executive session on their agendas, but rarely go behind closed doors, according to Superintendent Alan Zubay.
The system has a set format for agendas, he explained, and item 14 simply lists the time they would close a meeting if necessary.
''We probably haven't had had an executive session in well over a year,'' Zubay said. Dawson County Superintendent Herbert Burnsed said his board goes for months without closing meetings. But recently, the board has been evaluating property for future schools.
Forsyth County Superintendent Allene Magill said her growing district usually has some type of personnel, discipline or land-buying issue.
Forsyth was recently named the fastest-growing county in the United States. The 16,000-student, 2,000-employee system has opened eight schools since 1997, and plans to add another 405 classrooms in the next few years. Magill said systems without Forsyth's growth don't have to close as many meetings to discuss buying property or hiring teachers and administrators. And smaller districts have less opportunity for reviewing student punishments.
School boards can make personnel decisions in front of the public, but it's not always pretty, according to Barry Cronic, chairman of the Jackson County school board. ''Sometimes we have to make decisions out in the open that hurt people's feelings,'' he said. ''But it's better to do that than to do it behind closed doors.''
Open government helps the school system's credibility and its trust with parents, said Anderson Byers, Jackson County school superintendent.
Georgia law allows government boards to close meetings to discuss litigation, land purchases or personnel issues such as hirings and firings. School boards can also hold closed meetings to review cases in which students appeal a punishment.

Reviewing the RED:
I can't believe that some school districts don't use executive session. They let the parents voice their opinion. How can Jackson County do it and we can't.

Mr. Rowland you promised open meetings and I will hold you to that promise.