Tilley: Why is board wasting money on conference?

By: Susy W. Tilley | Morganton News Herald
Published: November 08, 2009

Morganton, NC --

I visited the North Carolina School Boards Association's Web site to see if they had any information regarding H1N1 practices and learned there is an annual conference for board member development being held Nov. 16 (the same day as the next scheduled Burke County school board meeting) through Nov. 18.
I went to the conference information and read the details such as registration, accommodations, etc. The registration fee is $460 per member. The accommodations are extremely nice. The participants stay at the Four Seasons Sheraton at an "NCSBA special rate" of $138 per night and meet at Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. The agenda includes a reception and dance on the night of Nov. 17.
I figured that school board member Tim Buff wouldn't want to miss it, so I called Central Office and asked Sue Lowdermilk, the school board's clerk, if anyone on the board would be attending this conference. She said Mr. Buff, Karen Sain and Tracy Norman were going. I was stunned! I asked her how this could be, since there was a scheduled board meeting the evening of the 16th. She was not sure, but said she thought the board meeting will be rescheduled.
I asked her if registration and hotel had been paid for. She said the registration fees of have already been paid, but the hotel rooms have not yet been reserved. I asked her if the cost would be $138 per night for three rooms and she said Ms. Norman and Mrs. Sain would be sharing a room, so the cost for the hotel stay would be $552 for two rooms for two nights.
I then asked Mrs. Lowdermilk how this can be done, given that Ms. Norman probably will not be re-elected and she stated that until the new board is seated on Dec. 7, Ms. Norman is still officially on the board.
I am outraged. I am appalled at the nerve of these people who continue to throw our money away on themselves, especially since we are all aware that attending this conference is completely unnecessary and that NCSBA membership was also not a needed expense.
By the way, why are we going to have to pay for this? I thought the $12,000 we paid for NCSBA membership would be enough!
I delivered supplies on Monday for a Burke County middle school child whose home burned down. The family has no insurance and they have no place to stay. The Red Cross and Burke United Christian Ministries have been helping them, but funding is at an all-time low and they can do no more. We cannot even donate household items and much clothing because where would they put it? The family includes three kids, one middle-school child, one high school-aged daughter and a 21-year-old.
The $1,932 for the school board's conference could pay a deposit and maybe a couple of months worth of rent for this family! These are our children, too, and Buff, Norman and Sain are willing to blow two grand on a party!?
I will let my voice be heard on this for sure. I will call the NCSBA, Superintendent Art Stellar and anyone else I need to call to demand a refund of registration fees.
Hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars have been wasted by these people already. No more!

Editor's note: NCSBA is paying for one night's stay in the hotel for Tim Buff, because he's on the NCSBA board. Burke County Public Schools pays for other board members' registration, hotel, food and travel. The News Herald incorrectly reported in a news article that NCSBA is paying for Buff's registration; it is not.
According to Mrs. Lowdermilk, as of Thursday the board meeting still is scheduled for Nov. 16. She said she heard the board members intend to drive back to Burke County for the board meeting.

Tilley: Why is board wasting money on conference?

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