Benton Harbor School Board Frustrated

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The growing pains are evident with the new way Benton Harbor Area Schools are being run in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Education. No school board members attended Tuesday’s monthly public meeting held by CEO Robert Herrera, and he did not attend the monthly advisory meeting of the school board this week. Board president Marletta Seats said they were under pressure to sign the agreement with the state.

“I don’t believe we’re on the same page,” said Seats Wednesday. State school reform officer Kyle Guerrant admitted there are challenges present, as the structure with the board serving only in an advisory role and the CEO running the district is unique to Benton Harbor.

“I would like to see some common ground,” said Seats as she held up the agreement paperwork and said the board is at a point where they want to “fix it or we would like to resolve it.” She added “I’m wondering what is this piece of paper really worth?”

Seats wondered who’s to blame for student achievement being about four years behind where they’re told it should be, given the state has been involved with guiding the district since a financial emergency was declared by Governor Snyder in September 2014 and a consent agreement signed four years ago. The board spent most of the meeting reviewing the information Herrera presented on Tuesday.