Spearman School Board issues "Memo" to Superintendent

The Spearman School Board met this evening and approved a memo "regarding the evaluation and duties and performance of the superintendent". The board deliberated in a closed session, and details of the memo were not discussed or shared with the public. We asked Mark Garnett, board president, for a copy, which he said they would not release as it was related to "Personnel Matters".

Garnett sent us the following statement on the matter. "The Board of Trustees oversees the management of the District. Among other duties, the Board sets goals, adopts policy and evaluates the Superintendent. In turn, the Superintendent reports his progress on meeting District goals and his management of the District. As part of the Board meeting on December 14, 2023, the Board reviewed and evaluated Mr. Gist’s performance in relation to compliance with Board policies and issued an evaluation memorandum outlining specific directives for Mr. Gist and advising him of Board expectations. As authorized by the Board, I met with Gist to present this memorandum. The Board intends to conduct its annual evaluation of the Superintendent at the January Board meeting."

The issuance of the memo follows the Special meeting held on November 13th, where the board directed Garnett to meet with the attorney regarding the Superintendent's handling of a student disciplinary action related to vaping.