Atkinson named superintendent of Bladen County Schools

ELIZABETHTOWN — Dr. Jason Atkinson is the new superintendent of Bladen County Schools.

The Board of Education met in a special called meeting on Monday evening, going into closed session and emerging to call for a vote. Atkinson was confirmed 7-2, closing a decision hanging in the balance of three regular meetings and Monday’s fifth gathering in either special or closed session inclusive of Nov. 19 when Dr. Robert Taylor’s resignation was accepted.

Votes in favor were from Chris Clark, Dennis Edwards, Tim Benton, Vinston Rozier, Vice Chairman Glenn McKoy and Chairman Roger Carroll. Votes against were from Gary Rhoda and Cory Singletary.

“I want to thank the Board of Education for your support,” Atkinson said. “I appreciate your confidence. I know we can look forward to great things. I appreciate your support, and all you do for our children and our staff.

“I sincerely appreciate the board’s support tonight, and our partnership to make Bladen County Schools an even greater school system.”

Atkinson has served as the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, and been interim superintendent since Taylor’s departure.

Financial terms were not immediately disclosed. The contract to be signed will run from March 15 to June 30, 2023, Carroll said in presenting the item to the board for consideration.

The vote capped a process that has been completely secretive, drawing the ire of both Rhoda and Singletary on Monday before the panel could even reach their closed session. The open meeting discussion, while yet to approve the agenda, indicated Atkinson had been the choice all along and at least one sticking point was whether to go with a four- or two-year contract.

Carroll was first to offer congratulations afterward. No other board members spoke at that time.

At the time of discussion between the motion and the vote to approve Atkinson, West was the only one to speak and made clear his position.

“For the record, I was for doing the superintendent search,” he said. “I thought it’s not quite fair to the ones here in our district that wanted to apply. But I understand the board wanting to go in another direction, that the majority rules. And I will support Dr. Aktinson with a yes vote.”

Since Taylor’s resignation, the board met in December, January and February in regular meetings, with only the last having any significant activity on the process. The N.C. School Board Association gave a presentation that night, one that showed a process inclusive of input from the school system and the community with all interview decisions made by the Bladen board.

The panel was in closed session to accept the resignation in November, went into closed session for personnel on Feb. 9, and again in called meetings on Feb. 16 and 22.

At the November meeting, the board named Atkinson as its interim leader, to begin when Taylor started his new job as deputy superintendent for the state. Taylor’s last day in Elizabethtown was Jan. 14 and his first in Raleigh on Jan. 15. He’s on the team of Catherine Truitt, the Republican elected state superintendent in November.

The board never advertised the position, and did not hire outside help for a search.

Monday’s meeting was held through the internet application Zoom, though not without opposition, and with less than 50 viewing at time of hire. Singletary, in voicing opposition to the gathering, said, “We’ve been in three special meetings, and the community doesn’t know one iota about what we’re doing.”

The conversation dived quickly; control of who had the floor to speak was lost by the chairman. It became a back-and-forth of accusations and defenses among Rhoda, Singletary, Carroll and Rozier until Gary Grady, attorney for the board, stepped in to remind Carroll the discussion at hand was about the adoption of the agenda, and to tell the board it was at risk in discussing personnel in open session.

Carroll regained control and routed the board into a vote for closed session, but public image damage arguably was done.

Rhoda threw the biggest haymaker at Carroll, saying, “Tell them why you don’t want anyone else to apply for this job. It seems like to me, there’s so much stuff under the rug, you don’t want nobody else to come in here and uncover it.”

“I disagree, Mr. Rhoda,” Carroll responded.

Separate of that, Rhoda accused Clark and Carroll of collusion, pointing out a quick motion for closed session in a previous meeting. Rozier said Benton, in closed session, had pushed for a four-year contract that he couldn’t accept.

Singletary said Rozier had made a point about the impact of employee morale based on the board’s decision, and Rozier defended himself at the expense of system employees.

“What do you think this is going to do to morale if you don’t give others a chance to apply for this position?” Singletary asked Rozier.

“I think it’s going to be the same as it was with Dr. Taylor, because we’re not bringing people up through the ranks,” Rozier answered.

Taylor was hired in 2011, from Clinton City Schools, following a search that included use of the school board association.

Singletary was blunt several times, including in assessment of the situation prior to the closed session.

“From the first time we met, it’s been suspect,” he said. “Nobody else can apply for this position. Y’all have been gung-ho about one person since we started this. The community doesn’t know, and they need an explanation. The community needs to know what is going on. We need to stop hiding behind politics and tell the community. You won’t tell them because you have a hidden agenda.”

Rhoda added, “Nobody else’s name was brought up. We have qualified people in the county, and they want to apply.”

Singletary and Rhoda voted against the meeting being held virtually, against the meeting’s agenda, against going into closed session, and finally against the hire of Atkinson.

McKoy is a Democrat, Clark unaffiliated and Benton a Republican, and all won November elections. McKoy and Clark ran unopposed in Districts 1 and 3, respectively, and Benton unseated Berry Lewis in District 2.

Edwards is a Republican at-large member, and Singletary and Rozier are Democrat at-large members; Rhoda, Carroll and West are Democrats representing Districts 1, 2 and 3, respectively; and all won election in November 2018.

The board next meets on Monday.