Agenda dispute kicks off Monday Champaign School Board meeting

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Tensions were raised right off the bat at Monday night’s Champaign Unit 4 School Board meeting.

Upon approving the night’s agenda, board member Mark Holm requested an amendment to add board reorganization for “basically, all the officers but president” to the agenda. Holm said fellow board members Sam Banks, Betsy Holder, and Amy Armstrong also supported the agenda change, but Board President Dr. Gianina Baker changed it to “Appointment of Parliamentarian.”

Baker said that to make the amendment, the item would have to have been added and reviewed by the Board Policy Committee at least 48 hours before the meeting. She also said that an action or policy item could not be brought forth before a first reading.

Holm retorted that the amendment was discussed over a phone conversation early in the week, “well before” the 48 hours. Banks later noted that he also spoke with Baker far beforehand. Holm said he was under the impression that Baker was in favor of the change.

“I was not okay with it,” Baker retaliated. “I heard you out, but I was not okay with it.”

Holm continued that he did not hear her indicate this in the earlier discussion, so he was caught off guard when this item was not added to the meeting agenda. She said she didn’t get a board bar, to which she described as “the actual information to place on the agenda,” until Friday, which she claimed another board member said would be forwarded.

Banks mentioned that he was seeking a simple discussion on the matter of reorganization and not an official policy change. Baker said a chance for discussion would be available during board member comment.

Holder then piped in to say that a policy change was not needed in matters of reorganization, “per our policy ,” which said items submitted to the president should be placed on the agenda for an upcoming meeting, and items not on the agenda could still be discussed. She added that a board majority may suspend their rules of order at any time.

Baker replied that within the same policies, it is the job of the Board President to focus meeting agendas on appropriate content. After this, she requested approval of the agenda.

The motion was denied 4-3, with “no’s” from Armstrong, Banks, Holder, and Holm.

The meeting then moved into executive session, upon which Baker questioned if fellow board members would stay.

After a few more minutes of whirlwind discussion, all board members moved to remove the “Appointment of Parliamentarian” item from Monday’s meeting — except for Holm, who did not want removal, but just the amendment of his language/item request.

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