The Berea Independent School Board voted to place superintendent Diane Hatchett on leave Monday as claims of budget mismanagement are investigated.
District-wide staff cuts were announced after Hatchett said the system “drastically overspent” their school budget during a board meeting last month.
Community members have since called for a change in leadership. Students staged a school walkout in protest.
Robyn Moreland was one of many parents at Monday’s board meeting.
“We're a close knit community of people. People have strong ties to this school, and also people in the community have strong ties to this place as well. And that's just really the spirit of our school,” Moreland said.
Retired educator and organizer Debra Morgan was among those present at the meeting. She says she’s hopeful for the school’s future.
“This isn't the first time Berea Community School has faced a hard time financially or with staff cuts,” Morgan said. “We've always managed to pull it back around and have our district moving forward.”
Former Madison County Schools superintendent Elmer Thomas will be Berea’s interim superintendent as the investigation continues. The school board expects to name a permanent superintendent by June 30.
The board also voted to scrap a proposed solar project that officials said contributed to the budget problem. They also took steps to create two new funds for community members to donate to school programs directly. That includes an account at Community Trust Bank and a booster for the school’s Jobs for America's Graduates career readiness program.
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