Bibb school board calls meeting on personnel issue

The Bibb County school board has called a meeting for 6:30 p.m. today to discuss personnel items in closed session.

School board President Gary Bechtel said that “no action items would be taken” at the meeting, though.

Bibb Superintendent Sharon Patterson has been under fire in recent weeks.

She is the subject of a state ethics investigation of whether she and two assistants reported principal misconduct to a state oversight agency in a timely manner.

A story in Sunday’s Telegraph also called into question the system’s hiring of several principals who had problems in the past.

Two school board members and other community leaders have said recently that, in their opinions, it’s time for Patterson to move on.

If board members and Patterson are negotiating a settlement to terminate Patterson’s contract, which expires in June 2011, officials can’t comment.

“Although I will not confirm or deny that there are any negotiations to part ways between Ms. Patterson and the school district, any discussions by the board regarding this topic are protected,” school system attorney Sherry Culves said earlier this week.

Any such contract settlement would require a school board vote in public, however.

To contact writer Julie Hubbard, call 744-4331.