Oh, look. A contract extension.
I was examining the agenda for Monday night’s Moore County Board of Education meeting (3PM work session, 5pm closed session, 6 PM open session) when I came across something rather curious. The board will be voting on a contract extension for the superintendent — right at the tail end of the long 4th of July weekend while a lot of people are still traveling or not paying attention.
Why the rush to extend Dr. Bob’s contract? As is, he’s good until June 30, 2022. And you also have to ask: Why do this when there are so many open issues and concerns bubbling to the surface out there?
- We still don’t have any answers to these questions I raised a couple of years back.
- Money Management. Public schools account for HALF of the county budget. Yet, Dr. Bob and his team go in front of the county commissioners each year crying about not having enough money to teach the little crumb-crunchers. How much money is ENOUGH? (And why does he keep adding all of these “doctors” with fancy new titles and six figure salaries to the administrative side of the organizational chart, IF there is not enough money to properly educate the kids?)
- Construction. The school system has already received negative statewide publicity for buying land and building a new school in an industrial area in close proximity to EPA-managed environmental hazards. Dr. Bob and his team have also gone to the county commissioners begging for MORE money to cover “unexpected” construction costs. THAT is on the architect. He or she knows how much money you have to work with. And he or she SHOULD have the expertise to draw plans for a facility that fits within those cost parameters.
- Redistricting. “Racial and economic diversity,” and other leftist touchy-feely terms have guided this process (instead of what SHOULD HAVE: proximity to the children’s homes, convenience to the children’s families). Opponents of the redistricting plan — concocted behind closed doors by Dr. Bob and his cronies — raised valid concerns about property values and having to ship their kids cross-county or cross-town in the name of “diversity.” A house currently in the district for Pinehurst Elementary will be worth a lot less if it gets moved into the district for the new Aberdeen Elementary (being built in the EPA-managed industrial area on Highway 5). Dr. Bob trotted some useful idiots out in front of the useful idiots at The Pilot to complain about the lack of “civility” by the redistricting opponents. I could imagine it being hard to stay polite and civil when folks elected to represent you are ignoring YOU and your best interests. The Pilot even managed to slimily insinuate that redistricting opponents might be a wee bit racist.
SO, to sum up, there is a lot of turmoil out there. There are a lot of issues out there that need to be dealt with. The public servants at the schools office and the members of the school board need to actually talk to (and listen to) the stakeholders in the county school system.
Bob Grimesey has not yet proved he deserves a contract extension. He still has two years on his current one. Grimesey could and should get to work instituting a team effort to clear these matters up. He and his puppets on the school board need to at least act like they’re interested in what their stakeholders are saying and thinking.
What a joke! Can they legally do this? Aren’t there several boe seats up in 2020? This is just to ensure that he stays but that should be up to the new boe. They can make that decision when his contract is up in 2021. We need someone with ba**s to stop this sh*t. I hope folks from Aberdeen attend the meeting tomorrow and explain to the board that they are sick and tired of being treated like second class citizens.
Clifton sir, I think we all know why they are rushing to do this and the bob mob mom squad will be there tomorrow and if they get the opportunity to speak they’ll hand scripted pleas to a bunch of kids who have no idea what’s going on.
We have the same fool up on Pitt County. Let’s leadership run wild. The Rich Vidant’s wives just let him do what he wants. Please someone hire him. We can have our school system back.
I am going to do something that I know is stupid. I am going to speak at the board meeeting tomorrow – Asking then NOT to extend his contract.
Why is that stupid? I believe it is a done deal.
For all the reasons you listed – And many more – This man needs to go.
Please Moore County – Come fill a seat tomorrow. This is a chance to let the school board see we are paying attention.
Well I’ll be darned. Turns out it WAS a done deal.
Yes Sir! For sure !!!
I truly can’t figure out what this MAN has over this county. I mean look at the history of all his doings . And his still in office. This situation makes me shake my head and scratch my head at the same time . There’s got to be something to stop this . Rather it’s a state investigation ,federal investigation or just down out right law suit against the BOE.
Let’s all go to the meeting. Let THEM know the Superintendent needs to GO! Will you attend? ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Please come! We need help!
Mr Clifton,
Please consider coming and speaking. We don’t have enough people willing to stand up and request that they wait. That’s all we want. Just wait until everything that is left open is settled. I’m not asking for the man to be fired. But not renewing his contract AT THIS TIME would surely send him a message that he needs to tighten things up and answer some questions.
Yes Clifton, we need you!!!
Please come speak Mr. Clifton! Please, please, please! We need to hear from all of the logical, level headed folks that you know! Please show up tonight.
Clifton, we not only want you to be there, we would like for you to speak. You know the history better than most and you certainly aren’t afraid to speak the truth. Please consider it!
Well his contract was extended. Time to vote out all of the incompetent board members.
Amen !!!! I can’t wait until Election ? Day . This need to stop ?NOW !!!
Whether you sat BEHIND the big fancy desk or you sat IN FRONT of the big fancy desk at the school board meeting seemed to determine your vote. Thirteen speakers sitting in front of the desk spoke against extending the Dr. Grimesey contract, while the five behind the desk read prepared speeches and voted to extend the contract.
Every motion had the same scripted summary: “MOTION CARRIES FIVE — ZERO.”
Two questions: 1) How did the five behind the desk justify renewing contract that doesn’t expire for three years? 2) Why do you people put up with this treatment from your elected officials?
That is an excellent question. I think the elected officials have forgotten that they are elected and that they work for the citizens of Moore County. The cozy relationship between the board of education and the superintendent seems inappropriate as well.
They justified renewing his contract by listing athletic achievements and successful programs such as Odyssey of the Mind; a program that he has not been supportive of and one that he does not deserve credit for. There is no real justification for keeping any of them at this point. I’m still curious as to how they manage to sleep at night knowing what they are doing.
Good luck getting the word out. I spoke with a well educated, well paid person yesterday who did not know who AOC is.