NORTH FOREST– The recently reseated Board of Trustees of the North Forest school district took unexpected action last week, in placing their superintendent, Dr. Adrain Johnson, “on leave” and replacing him with an interim appointment, Department head Edna Forté as acting superintendent.
In a statement issued to the Northeast News, the board said “In light of ongoing fiscal deficiencies, graduation rate concerns at North Forest High School, accreditation issues, and time sensitive staff reduction priorities, in the best interest of the district, the Board of Trustees felt it necessary to move in a different direction by placing the Superintendent on paid administrative leave.
“Educating the students of NFISD continues to be the number one priority of the district. The Board is confident that the district has capable and competent individuals who can continue day-to-day operations. Effective immediately, Edna Forté, Executive Director of Federal and State Programs, will serve as Acting Superintendent.”
The board voted on March 28, at a special called meeting, by a vote of 7 to 0 to place the current superintendent, Dr. Adrain Johnson, on paid leave.
It was not clear, from statements made by board members to the media, what the next step will be, and whether the board will move to fire Johnson. The NFISD board, with different members, has a history of firing superintendents, and in at least one case rehiring him. And four of the last five superintendents have left due to firing or pressure from the board.
Johnson was placed in charge of the North Forest district in 2008, when the Texas Education Agency took charge of the district as allowed by law, replacing the trustees with their own Board of Managers. However, the law only allows this to be sustained for a two year period, and in November 2010 the elected board was reseated.
The Northeast News learned that the TEA was holding a meeting last Friday which might have included a discussion of this situation, but no official comment has been made. Also, the North Forest board has called a meeting for Monday night, April 4 at 7 p.m. On the agenda are staff reductions, and the status of Dr. Johnson as superintendent.
The state of Texas assumed control of the district in 2008 due to its weak financial condition, irregularities in student attendance reporting and financial accounting, and poor standing academically on most of its campuses.
Johnson, who was an associate administrator at TEA at the time, and previously a superintendent at LaMarque ISD, has worked to improve these conditions. The district is now on better financial footing, and seven of the eight campuses are rated “acceptable” or better now by the state. However, the drop-out and graduation rate at the high school has not improved, and in fact has caused the district to receive an “unacceptable” rating and the probation rating on its accreditation. Johnson has made a number of changes at the high school, and says that more time is required to realize the results of these. North Forest is the recipient of a federal/state grant of $5.26 million, over 3 years, to make these changes at the high school, including a new principal, new staff, and better procedural methods. Johnson and Forté worked together on this Title I improvement grant.
In addition to raising the ratings of most of the campuses, Johnson has instituted many other innovative changes in the district, including bringing a YES Prep charter school into one of the unused buildings, giving serious academic students another choice and theoretically attracting out-of-district students. He has also been instrumental in setting up an Education Foundation, independent of the School District, that would raise funds for student, teacher, staff, and campus enhancements that would otherwise not be available. The Education Foundation was set to start a major fund drive this month, but now has been put “on halt” according to officials.