Below are the motions made by the Manchester Board of School Committee on January 28, 2013 relative to the resignation of West High Principal Mary McGorry. See articles below for our stories on the matter.
Comm. Connors made a motion to return to public session. Comm. Rokas seconded the motion. The motion passed by unanimous vote. Comm. Soucy made a motion to seal the minutes of the non-public session. Vice Chair Gelinas seconded the motion. The motion passed by unanimous vote.
Vice Chair Gelinas made a motion to accept the Superintendent’s recommendation in regards to the personnel matter at West High School. Comm. Connors seconded the motion. Comm. Beaudry requested a roll call. Voting in favor of the motion were Vice Chair Gelinas and Committee Members Connors, Avard, Beauchamp, Ambrogi, Shoults, Rokas, Soucy, and Staub. Voting in opposition of the motion were Comm. Beaudry, Cooper, Langton, Stewart, and Mayor Gatsas. The motion passed by a vote of 9 to 5.
Vice Chair Gelinas made a motion that the Board accept the recommendations as provided by legal counsel. Comm. Soucy seconded the motion. Comm. Beaudry requested a roll call. Voting in favor of the motion were Vice Chair Gelinas and Committee Members Connors, Avard, Cooper, Beauchamp, Ambrogi, Langton, Shoults, Soucy, and Staub. Voting in opposition of the motion were Comm. Beaudry, Stewart, Rokas, and Mayor Gatsas. The motion passed by a vote of 10 to 4.
Personnel Report
Comm. Ambrogi made a motion to approve the Personnel Report. Comm. Rokas seconded the motion.
Comm. Beaudry said “I would like to have the Superintendent write a letter to the NH State Retirement System board requesting clarification on the principal’s position under RSA 100A for a position that is posted as a full-time position. Under the NH Retirement System, if someone is working in that position and they were in the Retirement System they would have to be reinstated into the Retirement System. That is a full-time position and it is certified under the NH Retirement System and I would like to have a letter from the Retirement System stating that we can have someone in there as a per diem that also is collecting a pension from the NH Retirement System.”
Mayor Gatsas asked “do we have a second on that?” Comm. Beaudry said “if we need a second for that then I’ll send the letter out. The Retirement System should be notified.” Mayor Gatsas said “I don’t think you can individually do that as a Board member.” Comm. Beaudry said “what do you mean, anybody can write a letter to the NH Retirement System requesting them to come down to do an investigation. We are breaking the law, Mayor, and let’s call a spade a spade. We’re breaking the law. It specifically states it’s a full-time position which it’s a full-time position and it’s got to be certified through the NH Retirement System. We are circumventing the law when we put per diem people in there that are collecting a pension from the NH Retirement System. That is the double-dipping that they keep talking about up in Concord. And there is a piece of legislation up there right now to reduce it from 32 hours to 24 hours. We want to keep playing the games. I want a letter from the NH Retirement System whether we are on legal ground or not.”
Mayor Gatsas said “I think it is no different than the teacher that comes in and as soon as she works over 90 days then she has got to be in the system.” Comm. Beaudry said “no, because a teacher first of all if they work 5 days a week and they’re considered full time and that’s a certified position in the Retirement System then they would have to be enrolled in the Retirement System. The principal’s position is a certified position enrolled in the NH Retirement System and for us to have a part-timer in there that is collecting a pension, that’s the double-dipping law. So, I would like to have clarification from the Retirement System on that.”
Comm. Langton said “there is another issue. There was another vote that has something to do with it that we actually haven’t taken here, is that something that we have to do in addition, that wasn’t part of the actual Personnel Report.” Mayor Gatsas said that was correct.
Comm. Rokas made a motion to allow Supt. Brennan to hire a part-time, short-term principal at West High School and to start advertising to fill the position with a full-time person.
Comm. Beaudry said “that falls under RSA 100A, the NH Retirement System law. That is a law of the State, Mayor, and if that is not part of the motion we’re circumventing the law. You can try to get away with all of this stuff but I’m not going to allow it to happen. We did this when we were paying the employee’s share of the NH Retirement System. When I brought that up it was against the law and now the employees have to pay their share. We’ve got to stop this stuff.
Vice Chair Gelinas seconded the motion. Comm. Beaudry made an amendment to state that it has to be in accordance with RSA 100A, the NH Retirement System state statute. Comm. Langton seconded the amendment. Comm. Rokas requested a roll call. Voting in favor of the amendment were Comm. Beaudry, Avard, Cooper, Beauchamp, Ambrogi, Langton, Shoults, Rokas, Soucy, Staub, Vice Chair Gelinas, and Connors. Voting in opposition of the amendment was Mayor Gatsas. Comm. Stewart abstained from the vote on the amendment. The amendment passed by a vote of 12 yes, 1 no, and I abstention. Mayor Gatsas called for a vote on the amended motion. The motion passed by majority vote; Mayor Gatsas and Committee Members Stewart and Langton voted in opposition of the amended motion.
A TRUE RECORD ATTEST:
Suzanne O. Sears
Clerk of the Board
