Cd'A board names leaders

COEUR d'ALENE - Christa Hazel is the new chairman of the Coeur d'Alene School District's Board of Trustees, and Dave Eubanks will be the vice chairman.

While discussion of the new leadership positions was civil, there was some tension when Tom Hamilton was denied a nomination for either leadership position.

Trustee Terri Seymour first made a motion to elect Hamilton as chairman, saying he is the board's "policy wonk," and she believes policy should be the board's No. 1 priority.

"It's not that I oppose Christa as chair; I believe that Christa has done a great job this year," she said. "If I had to pick between Christa and Tom as far as policy - that is one of our No. 1 jobs - Tom exceeds Christa in that."

Trustee Eubanks agreed that Hamilton's grasp of board policy is stellar, and far better than that of any other board member. Still, he said that he believes the board's leadership positions should rotate among members.

"Tom Hamilton has been chair. Tom Hearn has been chair. Terri, you have been vice chair and Christa has been vice chair," he said. "I would like to see Christa be chair."

Hamilton said he did not want to be board chair after enduring that for the year prior to Hearn's term as chairman. He said he could support Hazel as chairman of the board, but he would like to see the board accomplish more than it did over the past year.

Hearn said he had to disagree with some of what Hamilton had to say.

"If you recall, last spring we had a very contentious election in this community," Hearn said. "At the time, it made sense for me to be chair because I was the person who had the most time and experience."

He agreed it took some time to get a grasp on the position, but said he has a different view of the board chair position.

"I think I am more of a facilitator. I try to get everybody's ideas expressed and try to move to get a consensus, instead of trying to force an agenda," he said. "Bottom line is, I feel that we made a lot of progress in a lot of areas. We had a major transition here."

Hazel agreed with Hearn, saying "there was a lot more going on than three board members getting their feet wet."

Seymour was the only trustee who voted against Hazel's nomination, and she nominated Hamilton for vice chairman, but her motion failed to attract a second from the other trustees.

"Before this dies for lack of a second, I would like you to give some consideration to change in leadership structure beyond just changing the seats. I think that is necessary and I think that is important," Hamilton said. "I think it would go a long way toward public perception of the fractures in the board."

Despite the lack of a second, Hearn opened the issue for discussion.

Seymour alluded to some things and decisions - without going into detail - that were made in the past year that she said that probably were not "the wisest."

"Tom Hamilton needs to be the vice chair - without going into more detail," she said.

Eubanks praised Hamilton, but added the voters in the spring election pointed out three very important things to him.

"Everybody I talked to who voted for change - for Christa, Tom and I - they had three problems," he said. "They had a problem with the direction the board had taken back then. They had a problem with the leadership of the board and they had problem with how teachers were being treated by the board."

Eubanks said he doesn't think the majority of the community wants to see the current board put any member of the previous board in leadership positions.

"I think it would be a lightning rod," he said. "Are you qualified to be vice chair? Absolutely. Would you do a good job? I think you would, but I think it might kick off a firestorm."

Eubanks said he would like to make himself available for vice chair even though he didn't want the position.

Hearn nominated him and Hazel seconded the motion. Eubanks won the seat on a 3-2 split vote, with Hamilton and Seymour voting no.

Afterward, Katharine Ebner was elected treasurer. Lynn Towne was elected clerk of the board, and Glenda Pope was appointed acting clerk in the event that Towne was absent.

All three of those votes were unanimous.