Superintendent boots Urban from school district committee

An outspoken member of the school district’s Local Planning Committee will not be invited back next year.

Jim Urban, director of Planning and Development, received an email from Superintendent Paul Upchurch that the district appreciates his time on the committee and his service is now complete. 

A new committee is formed every four years to coincide with the new district facility plan. The county’s planning and development director traditionally has a seat on the board reserved for a local building or zoning official.

Urban criticized school district officials for ignoring state law in October when the LPC met to change the priority of the Brownsboro Elementary construction.

He quoted state law requiring the committee to review the district’s financial, demographic and physical condition be considered when making an adjustment, and said committee members did not have that information.

After a heated debate that ended with Urban leaving mid-meeting, members tabled the vote until the information could be provided. 

Committee members voted in mid-November to change the Brownsboro priority.

Now, the district will create a new district facilities plan in 2012. 

The four-year plan runs in conjunction with the LPC.

State law requires 20 members to serve on the committee, including parents, teachers, building administrators, community leaders — and a local building/zoning official.

Kevin Jeffries, chair of the county planning commission, will replace Urban on the committee.

Committee members are nominated by the groups they represent — parents by parent-teacher associations and building administrators by school staff, for example — and Upchurch chooses from those nominees. 

The local building/zoning chair is entirely at Upchurch’s discretion.