Patience fading over contract

Frustrations are growing among Richmond County school board members as some are publicly calling for Superintendent Charles Larke to step down.

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"I like Dr. Larke. We've been good friends for years," school board member Ken Echols said. "We need to look at what's best for the school system."

That would be the superintendent's retirement, he said.

"I think the time has come for us to take back control of the school system and not to be held hostage," said Mr. Echols. He said that he is "very disappointed" with the superintendent's leadership of late and that the school system is "spiraling downward."

While the board has been focused on student achievement, the superintendent has been focused on money, being so arrogant as to not even look at the professional development plan the board prepared for him, Mr. Echols said.

"I think the best outcome for everybody is for Dr. Larke to retire," he said. "If he decides to go the route of the courts, it's going to get real bad."

An "unusual and overwhelming" number of questions from constituents prompted board member A.K. Hasan to write a letter to board President Marion Barnes on Monday, asking him to reconvene a long-recessed meeting to discuss Dr. Larke's contract.

On April 18, the board recessed indefinitely after closed-door discussions on Dr. Larke's contract. Usually, the board adjourns at the close of meetings.

Board member Joe Scott said that he has "no earthly idea" when the situation will be resolved but that maybe it's time for the superintendent to go.

"I think we're as far away from resolving this as the North Pole is from the South Pole," he said. "I could be wrong because I don't know the insides of what they're doing."

Mr. Scott said he hasn't heard anything since the board went into recess and thought the board would meet last week.

When the board went into recess, there were disagreements on issues such as the professional development plan, the impact of the annual evaluation on the superintendent, a clause in Dr. Larke's contract that triggers a new three-year contract each year, and the overall legality of the contract, Mr. Scott said.

"Dr. Larke has done a lot of good things within the school system," Mr. Scott said. "I think with the professional development plan we carved out for him I think he might be able to do more."

The board is being secretive about details of the contract negotiations.

"I am unable to discuss the details of whether offers have been made or rejected or whatever and specifically the contents of any offer," Mr. Hasan said. "The only thing that I can say is that the matters are unresolved at this time, and we do need to have a meeting so the board can further discuss its strategy."

With no word of the negotiations given to board members, he is left to assume that the "chess game" between the two attorneys is still going on, Mr. Scott said.

As the uncertainty of Dr. Larke's fate lingers, the costs of the longer-than-usual negotiation process continue to climb.

In the absence of a new contract, the assumption is that Dr. Larke's existing contract is still in effect, Mr. Hasan said. That means taxpayers are footing the bill for the school board attorney and the superintendent's attorney, a provision of the contract.

Since March 24, the school system has paid almost $3,000 for Dr. Larke's attorney to negotiate with the school board, and that figure is expected to rise, Mr. Hasan said.

Calls to Mr. Barnes and Dr. Larke seeking comment were not returned.

Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.