In a unanimous decision by the Banks County Board of Education, Lori Rylee will work during the upcoming 2008-09 school year as assistant transportation director.
The decision was made last Friday during a called meeting held exclusively for personnel matters with the new school year beginning later this week. The decision regarding Rylee was one of five personnel items approved by the BOE during a closed session.
Rylee had been assistant principal at Banks County Elementary School for the past two years, but had become the target of criticism by some fifth grade parents following an alleged incident last May near the end of the 2007-08 school year. The parents contended Rylee ordered male fifth grade students to drink from a water fountain at the school from which a substance had been poured into. There was a question whether the substance was urine or Gatorade.
Tests performed on the water fountain several days later showed no bacteria was presented. Rylee was placed on paid leave for two weeks and then returned to her job as assistant principal at BCES.
Several parents, however, felt she should be removed from her position and terminated from the school system because of her intimidation of students allegedly telling them not to speak of the incident on the threat of law enforcement and Department of Family and Children Services being contacted.
Michael Daniel, who helped represent Rylee during the ongoing investigation, said Monday afternoon they are looking forward to having the “community come together.”
“We are happy that this has been resolved,” Daniel said.
Chan Caudell, who has represented the parents of several students who were fifth graders at the time of the incident issued the following statement regarding the board’s decision: “For the most part we believe the unfortunate incident involving Ms. Rylee and the school children can be put to rest. We are, however, still working on one or two issues that we anticipate will be resolved within the next few days. My clients are hopeful the school year will kick-off on a positive note that will continue all year long.”
Banks County Superintendent Chris Erwin said Monday the decision to have a new assistant transportation director was an economic decision.
The housing of Banks County Alternative School students at the Stephens County Alternative School (Crossroads) was discontinued.
“We are now utilizing a part of our high school campus for our own alternative school, thus saving the school system over $200,000,” Erwin said. “The assistant transportation director position will assume the administrative responsibilities of operating the alternative school for the system as well as assisting with the transportation department duties. I feel that Ms. Rylee will have a positive impact in this position.”
Erwin said the school system is currently advertising the vacancy of an assistant principal and plans to fill the position in the immediate near future.
The BOE also approved the following personnel items during the closed session last Friday:
Certified personnel, new hires: Edith Ross, teacher and Gerald W. Payton, part-time teacher. Classified personnel, new hires: Amos Browning, technology specialist and Cassie Keller, 2008-09 school year only.
teachers the school system has ever had. One would think
that the BOE would do what is best for the children
not give in to a few parents who are obviously uneducated
themselves and had nothing better to do than cause trouble.
This is horrible and wrong! Shame on you Chris Irwin! Politics should never come before the welfare of the children. It makes me doubt the competence of the entire BOE. I thought Banks
County was better than this.
Unfortunately, we the Banks County citizens must also take some responsibility. After all, we just re-elected THREE BOARD MEMBERS!! Notice that the decision for this circumstantial case was conveniently tabled until AFTER the election.
I would like to know what recall procedures are in place if WE THE PEOPLE want to remove such politicians and replace them with people who actually want to tackle some of the real problems of the schools.