Gainesville BOE member calls for unity

GAINESVILLE - The Gainesville school board was blasted at its Monday night work session for firing Superintendent Dr. Steve Ballowe last week, but one board member said now is the time for unity.

Saint Paul United Methodist Church pastor Dr. Marcus Dixon said the 3-2-block vote to dismiss Ballowe displayed "evil."

Dixon claimed Ballowe's dismissal was planned, that his badge and computer were locked down before he was notified that he was fired.

"This disrespect of the Superintendent and the evil displayed by the three board members is morally wrong," Dixon said.

Dixon also accused board members of denying the chairmanship to Kelvin Simmons, saying it reeked of discrimination and bigotry. Dixon announced a community farewell rally for Ballowe at his church on Summit Street Thursday at 7 p.m.

Simmons was voted in as vice chairman and said he got on the board to serve children, not to be chairman.

It was Simmons who called for community unity.

"We can't move forward in a positive way unless we move forward as adults and unite everybody," Simmons said. "I never did get on the board to determine whether I wanted to be chairman or vice chairman, I got on the board to serve kids."

School board Chairman David Syfan said that the system remains $5 million in the red. Board members got copies of recommended cuts and plan to act on them by July 21.

"The Board just got the financial impact of those proposed cuts," Syfan said."We got that tonight and none of us have had a chance to study them."
"We're going to look at the impact, some things on the list are going to stay, it's part of the process."

The Board was without its financial director, Janet Allison, Monday night, she was absent attending a funeral.

Syfan said he wants to talk to Allison about personnel figures in the proposed cut list and what student teacher ratios she is planning.

"Part of what we're looking at is whether instead of hiring people, we'll freeze positions for a year and try to save money that way if we can," Syfan said. "It's all part of the process of trying to reduce that budget deficit."

Syfan added the board hopes within two weeks to name an interim superintendent to replace Ballowe.

"The Board has begun discussions on what we're looking for and we've got to talk to people," he said.

Board members welcomed a new principal during their work session at Gainesville High.

Susan Culbreth takes over as principal at Enota Elementary School when the new school year begins in August. Culbreth comes to Gainesville from Buchanon Elementary School in Haralson County.

"Thank you very much for voting me in,I appreciate it, and I will bring 100 percent to Enota every day," Culbreth said.