Dothan City School Board

After an investigation found no wrong-doings and the air is cleared, the newly-elected Dothan City School Board members will be sworn in Monday night.

Incoming members of the board got a rough start with controversy and finger-pointing several weeks ago.

After school board members bought former school superintendent Dr. Leon Hobbs out of his contract in mid-July amid settlement controversy, and an investigation being called by incoming chairman, Dr. Stokes, on the school systems financial reports, policies and past operations, it seems that insiders within the school system would have lost faith.

But Stokes says no way, he and the other incoming or recurring board members, Gayla White, Brenda Guilford, and Hayes McCay have put that behind them and have other challenges ahead.

Stokes says, “It is convincing the teachers, the administrators, and the principles, and the parents that we need to work together.”

He's not finger pointing, but the way teachers and staff were managed in the past, won't be how they'll be managed now.

He also says “I think in the past there's been some friction, there were some board members that wanted to micro manage, that wanted to look over teachers and principals shoulders and tell them how to do their job and I think that's a mistake, when you do that you cause unnecessary problems.”

But what shouldn't cause a problem he says is his profession as a cancer radiologist, he has had experience serving on the city commission for two terms.

Now, he says he and other members have a good chemistry and are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work.

City school board members will be sworn in at 5 p.m. The ceremony is open to the public and will take place at the school board's chambers on Dusy Street.
