Resignations continue as Macon Charter appoints new board

Issues continued to mount for Macon Charter Academy over the weekend, such that a called meeting had to be held Monday to select a new governing board.

Friday, four of five governing board members announced their resignations, and Principal Ron Boykins later announced plans to do the same.

At Monday's meeting, lone remaining board member Leontine Espy also resigned after officially appointing Daisy Ross, Joseph Brothers Jr. and Ed Grant to the board.

"I think that you are going to have some very fine people to work with," Espy said.

During the first portion of the meeting held once the new board members joined, each new member was given time to talk about his or her background and connection to the school.

Ross and Brothers have children in the school, with Brothers having spearheaded efforts to connect disgruntled parents with the last governing board.

"I was displeased about the way things were going," Brothers said, noting a website he started to better organize parents. "So that's why I'm here."

Grant, who has grandchildren in MCA, described himself as a "lifelong resident of Macon" who has worked with the local industrial and urban development authorities. He was elected as the new board's chairman and addressed parents' concerns about transparency that became an issue with the last board.

"I want transparency myself," Grant said. "I, too, was not getting all the information I felt like I needed."

Several parents expressed concerns about the selection process for the new board.

Leroy Foster, who has been vocal at past meetings, said that a division had developed between parents and others connected to the school based on support for Boykins or founders Monya and Charles Rutland.

"I don't think it's balanced, and I don't think it's fair," Foster said.

Others, including Espy's family members, said that the process for selecting new members had not been clear, alleging that Espy had not actually chosen Ross, Brothers and Grant. Attorney Rob Fortson said he could not confirm how the three names had come to the table, only that Espy was the one who made the motion to appoint them.

After the board entered an executive session, Espy resigned her post on the board and was not available for comment.

As for Boykins, his resignation became official after the executive session, with his last day at the school set for Jan. 15.

"I came to do specific work to improve the education for my students," he said in an email Monday. "I am not concerned about the work and remain committed to get it all done."

Boykins said the "politics" surrounding the school's relationship with local and state leaders and issues of control led to his decision. Those issues were "all tied together" with the proposed contract with Renaissance School Services, which also led to the governing board resignations.

"This makes my goal impossible to achieve, thus, it will be time to find another school or district that is truly ready for academic change," Boykins said.

Rob Giordano, vice president for Renaissance, sought to quell rumors that language in the proposed contract called for Boykins' termination. He said such moves were not part of the MCA contract or any other initial agreement Renaissance has written for schools.

"That's not the way we do business," he said.

He added that the previous governing board member's resignations were "shocking" and unlike anything he'd seen in working with schools in multiple states, including New Jersey, Michigan and Massachusetts. The resignation letter sent from the previous board members to Bibb County Superintendent Curtis Jones revealed that problems with the Renaissance contract led to the decision, but Giordano was unsure what "sticking point" the board found.

"It's very troubling that, during negotiations to keep the school moving forward, that members of the board would do that," he said.

The board will hold its regular meeting Tuesday to continue the process of amending its charter to allow a relationship with Renaissance. Lou Erste, associate state superintendent for charter schools, was hopeful a new board would take that step in time for the Bibb County school board to approve the amendment on Thursday and the state board to do so in January.

"Once that happens, folks need to deliver and the school will succeed," Erste said in an email.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331.