Response to Ken Halbert by Gary D. Bonnell
This was emailed to me today from Gary Bonnell. First I will tell you I take no side on this issue, well I take 2 the KIDS AND THE TEACHERS. I hope we hear a response from Mr. Halbert, if he wishes I will post it here to. This is some long reading, ENJOY!!!!!!!!
Response to Ken Halbert
by Gary D. Bonnell
June 8, 2008
I am responding with deep regret because much of this information was discussed behind closed doors, and I was very hopeful that the information I am about to present remain there. To the contrary, Superintendent Halbert has elected to bring these issues to the public’s eye causing great disruption in our school system.
I am responsible as Board President to be the designated representative of the Board to the Superintendent and Treasurer according to Board Policy. Part of my duties is to guide and direct not only our Board but to inform the Board, Superintendent, and Treasurer of any situation that may cause liability resulting in litigation or adverse public perception knowing that we must depend upon the taxpayers for funding our school system. That being said, I was elected to the Board by the taxpayer, and I will attempt to fulfill my obligation to see that the district budget of $56 million per year is spent wisely and for the purpose it was intended. I would like to make note that I do not and will not take any Board compensation (approximately $3,000 per year) until we are out of Fiscal Emergency.
Unlike comments made by Mr. Walton, I am just one of five votes on the Board. My duties as Board President extend way beyond that realm both legally and financially. I am responsible for all of the committees that have been formed and to see that they function properly. I am also Pro Tem of every committee and have a right to not only sit in on but vote as a member of each committee. Involving any litigation, I am the individual that is named as the primary defendant. Also there are other duties required by law to be reported semi-annually to the Board President by the Superintendent such as bullying. As President, if I do not take action, I will be liable.
Since Mr. Halbert has been here, he has sent a letter to all Board members prior to each January Board meeting requesting that the Members choose a President who can be available and be able to meet and communicate with him on a daily basis. Mr. Halbert not only communicated to me his personal dissatisfaction that the previous Board President was out of state for five weeks, but that the individual did not respond to his phone calls regarding critical issues. I must emphasize that after becoming Board President, I was requested by Superintendent Halbert to discuss school related issues 95% of the time. I in no way met with him without a request from him to do so. I was appointed Chairman of the Bond Liaison Committee (at which time all committees including the Food Service and Athletic had been approved by a 5-0 vote).
Superintendent Halbert requested, because of my experience and background, to represent him on the OSFC Construction Project that pertained to his responsibility. He requested this because he wanted to concentrate his time on improving test scores. I reluctantly and with great debate with him accepted this role and told him that I was concerned that people might think I was micromanaging him and the school district. I would like to emphasize that Superintendent Halbert has publicly stated he wanted me to assume that role and thanked me for accepting it.
What I find very disturbing is that Superintendent Halbert knows the protocol that if, in fact, there is a personnel issue such as the one he made very public this past week, he had the obligation to call a Special Board Meeting and go into Executive Session to discuss any dissatisfactions especially any directed at a Board Member. To date, that has not happened. He also knows that according to Board Policy, before it is finalized and released to the public, the Board agenda must be approved by three individuals, the Superintendent, Treasurer, and the Board President. Superintendent Halbert also knows that no resignation can be placed on the Board agenda without the support of a written letter of resignation of which he has not submitted to date.
It should be recognized that I was the individual primarily responsible for bringing him to our district. I was informed before we interviewed him from individuals who were directly involved in the Wellsville School District that there were two main issues of dissatisfaction.
· He threatened to quit if he didn’t get his own way.
· He was disappearing from the district during school hours.
I questioned Superintendent Halbert prior to his interview with the Board and he debunked these allegations as sour grapes by those individuals at Wellsville because he was considering leaving them. Even after his interview and before he was hired, I discussed some of these issues with our Board and all of the Board except one accepted his explanation.
The following are issues that happened which I feel compelled to inform the public.
· When Superintendent Halbert was hired, he stated he would buy a home in the district and be part of the community and be readily available to participate in school functions. Shortly after he was hired, he moved to his home in Poland, Ohio which is approximately 45 minutes away from our district.
· Mr. Halbert recently demanded a five-year contract after only 1 ½ years into his initial three year contract. Again, Superintendent Halbert stated if he did not receive a five year contract, he would resign July 2008. This was not his first threat to quit.
· With the formation of the Athletic Committee, which was approved with a 5-0 vote of the Board, Superintendent Halbert vehemently opposed this committee because it was micromanaging not only him but the Principal and the Athletic Director. I explained to Superintendent Halbert that not only did I think it was necessary to have this committee, but the entire Board felt the same, after having packed Board rooms and numerous phone calls from dissatisfied parents. I explained to him that part of this was due to our previous President abolishing the Athletic Board, a.k.a. Athletic Committee, which had been in place all of the previous years that could be verified. This is one of the big sticking points that angered Superintendent Halbert - that I would not agree to abolish that committee. Again, Superintendent Halbert threatened to resign.
· With the formation of the Food Service Committee, which again was abolished by the previous President, Mr. Halbert vehemently opposed this committee because it would burden him with additional work. Again, the Food Service was part of our committee structure for all the previous years that could be verified. I stated to him that over 70% of our students receive either free or reduced lunches and in many cases this was the only quality meal that they receive each day. Our food quality and the lack of being able to account for $7,000 of missing money were reasons enough for me and the Board, who voted 5-0, to reinstate this committee. I would like to note that Superintendent Hiscox brought Nutrition Inc. to East Liverpool Schools illegally by violating the sealed bid procedure. Superintendent Halbert again threatened to resign because he felt we were micromanaging his authority to choose what method of food service we were to use.
· Several months ago, Superintendent Halbert presented five administrative contracts totaling three years each to the Board. After I researched the evaluation process, I discovered in a school law book, and then by verification of our attorney, that these three year contracts were in direct violation of the law. When I brought this to his attention, he was angered and I explained and supplied to him the correct process according to law (Ohio Revised Code) that these individuals could only receive a two year contract because they were not properly evaluated. He blamed Interim Superintendent Rick Wolfe for not evaluating administrators the nine months he was in our district; but the fact is, Mr. Halbert did not perform one evaluation the first year he was here. When I confronted him with that fact, he stated that he could not properly evaluate them, because he did not observe their performance. I explained to him that our attorney stated these evaluations must take place according to schedule even if it was somewhat a generic evaluation. These evaluations could not be missed and properly administer individuals a new contract. Our attorney stated that these administrators could only be issued, according to law, a two year contract and if we did otherwise, there could be expensive legal implications. Also, there was an issue with a Principal refusing to carry a cell phone. I explained to Superintendent Halbert that this was unacceptable in view of power outages in our area as well as shootings and conduct/safety issues that have occurred in other districts throughout the US. I questioned Superintendent Halbert,
after reviewing administrative evaluations contained in the Board packet (which is given out to Board Members before meetings) about the glowing evaluations of some individuals who were removed from their positions because of poor job performance. They were reassigned to another job and were assisted by a consultant. I reviewed these evaluations with Superintendent Halbert and stated I thought he should be more conservative because if any administrator did not perform properly after these glowing evaluations, it would jeopardize our Board legally. I shared with our attorneys and they concurred that I was correct. Glowing evaluations was a pattern among most administrators. He again accused me and the Board of
micromanaging and threatened to quit.
· I repeatedly requested from Mr. Halbert, because of low test scores, the evaluation of our teachers. He repeatedly stonewalled me and finally admitted that most of our teachers had not been evaluated for 23 years. I asked him if he instructed the Principals during his first year here to evaluate teachers and he said he had not. Again, Superintendent Halbert said I was micromanaging and threatened to resign.
· Superintendent Halbert sent a very critical letter to our construction managers, R. P. Carbone. I questioned the information supplied to him by some of our administrators as to its validity and requested that he make a phone call to verify that information. Instead, Superintendent Halbert sent the letter anyway…a letter that contained inaccuracies and untruths. This obviously angered R. P. Carbone construction managers and they responded in kind criticizing his accusations. After working almost on a daily basis with R. P. Carbone, I felt that it was not conducive to a good working relationship and that situation should never happen again. After conveying my feelings to Superintendent Halbert, he again threatened to resign.
· I questioned Superintendent Halbert on numerous occasions about the implementation of the Virtual Academy from Jefferson County that both he and the Board thought was a good idea to compete heads up with the Buckeye Online School for Success and either save or recoup the 185 students we have lost to BOSS. Superintendent Halbert commented that he didn’t have the time or the manpower to implement it. I told him I thought that was unacceptable in view of the loss of enrollment to our district and the loss of over $1.3 million. Mr. Halbert, again, accused me of micromanaging and threatened to resign.
· I am not the only Board Member or Administrator that Superintendent Halbert has been dissatisfied with. He has been critical of Board Members Scott Dieringer and Bob Estell for their activity on the Athletic Committee and also made accusations that it was a conflict of interest to have a former Food Service Director on the Food Service Committee. That accusation is false. Mr. Estell’s brother’s wife is the daughter of theformer Food Service Director and furthermore, the former Food Service Director is going to assist us free of charge.
· Superintendent Halbert wrote a very damaging letter attacking Treasurer Dan Telzrow and offered his resignation because he could not professionally get along with him. This letter was on the heels of Mr. Halbert repeatedly requesting and suggesting to me and other Board Members that his friend and former Wellsville Treasurer replace Mr. Telzrow.
· Over dinner, I discussed with Vice-President and Chairman of the Personnel Committee, Janice Martin, some comments conveyed to me by people in the community about the Superintendent. I stated to her two issues. 1) The perception was that he was coming in late and leaving early and was seen going up Route 11 at 2-3:00 in the afternoon. 2) There was a concern by the public that he was not attending very many of the student events in our district. She stated that he lives in Poland and it may be difficult. I stated to her that it was not our district’s problem because he said he would purchase a house in our district and become part of our community. I reiterated to Janice that this was one of the reasons I had the language changed in his five-year contract which she had resisted. It stipulated that he was to maintain normal business hours. I asked Janice Martin what approach she thought we ought to take and requested that she accompany me while I spoke with him. She declined to accompany me and then asked me how I was going to approach him. I conveyed to her what I was going to say and how I was going to say it. As soon as she left dinner, she contacted Superintendent Halbert at home conveying to him that I was dissatisfied with his performance. The following day, I met with Mr. Halbert at lunch noting that I was not accusatory, critical, or reprimanding him in any way. He stated that Janice had called him the evening before and said I was dissatisfied with his job performance. I would like to make clear that is not what I had said. I asked him to review the perception that had been conveyed to me by members of the community and consider changing his pattern especially in view that he was one of if not the highest paid superintendent in the county. Superintendent Halbert reacted with great anger and again threatened to resign.
In conclusion, Janice Martin has publicly stated that Superintendent Halbert is responsible for bringing this district out of Fiscal Emergency of almost a $2 million deficit. The fact is the person primarily responsible for this is William
Wenger, Chairman of the Financial Planning and Supervision Commission. Mr. Wenger has corrected, through his position as Chair, the majority of the financial conditions that existed. Also, I have brought to this district’s attention many corrupt acts, including but not limited to the State Auditor’s Finding for Recovery of illegal stipends paid to employees. (It should be noted that Mr. Walton voted for these illegal stipends along with former Board Members Denise Taylor and Steve Beadnell, costing our district over $70,000). It has been confirmed in public by R. P. Carbone Co. and by the Ohio School Facilities Commission that, in fact, the fraudulent enrollment figure of over 1,000 students would have resulted in a loss of over $20 million to our district and given our competitor, BOSS, brand new buildings for pennies on the dollar.
Mr. Walton has made some very strong accusations about my character and integrity. It should be known that Mr. Walton was assured that Beadnell and Taylor would be elected and he would hold the spot as President for the next two years. The taxpayers were smart enough to see that those two individuals did not get elected. Mr. Walton is very upset that he is not President and that four Board Members did not grant his recommendation to have his 24 year old relative as Commencement speaker. I think it is very relevant that Mr. Walton who votes on a $56 million budget should be questioned why he has not paid $97,200.26 in state sales tax that he collected from customers but did not pay the State of Ohio. According to two publications in the newspaper, he has not paid his property taxes either.
Miss Martin who is Vice-President and Chairman of the Personnel Committee, was employed as a cashier at Mountaineer Park. After her appointment, she became one of the active union leaders and was one of the individuals who brought Mountaineer Park on strike. During this same time frame, as Chairman of the Personnel Committee, she did not attend any personnel meetings regarding the hiring of a secretary for Treasurer Dan Telzrow. She was on the picket line. Mr. Estell, who was on the committee with her, took the lead in the interview process and selected jointly with the Treasurer several candidates and what their potential pay should be. During the Special Board meeting to vote on this issue, Janice Martin voted "No" because of the salary structure. How can you criticize when you do not attend any committee meetings? I would like also to note that she attended only one of the numerous Food Service Committee meetings. In my opinion, Janice Martin should resign her position as a member of the Personnel Committee. It seems to me it would be very difficult to be a union organizer bringing Mountaineer Park out on strike and then switch hats and represent the Board of Education regarding sensitive union issues.
I have recently discovered that Superintendent Halbert interviewed for our Superintendent’s position at East Liverpool several years ago. It is also my understanding that the interview lasted only a minute or so with the conclusion of the Board that it was his way or no way. To my understanding, he then wrote a letter chastising them for not hiring him.
It is also my understanding that there was collusion among Janice Martin, Larry Walton, and Superintendent Halbert to make this public in an attempt to force my resignation as Board President and as a Board Member. Unlike Superintendent Halbert, I do not threaten to quit nor am I a quitter. It will be a cold day before I resign. I find it interesting that Board Members Scott Dieringer and Bob Estell have not attacked me or my job performance as President of the Board, and they are not involved in this regrettable situation.
I have not received any negative phone calls from or conversations with the public. As a matter of fact, I have been inundated with supportive phone calls.
Gary D. Bonnell
President
East Liverpool Board of Education
Wow! could we make a reality show out of this? It would be a cross between the Mole and Surreal Life!
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Bonnell should grow up and stop acting like such a pouting baby. Let the people with education (Halbert and the teachers) do what they were hired to do.
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Phooey on the pompous president of the school board! Let Mr. Halbert DO HIS JOB!
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I am tired of the board president acting like he is king of the school district. Let the HIRED people (Mr. Halbert and the teachers) do their jobs!
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I agree. I am also tired of these elected officials fighting like the children they are supposed to be working for. Get over trying to be "king of the hill" and leave your bad attitudes at home. Is this the type of behavior from adults we want our children to see? I do not! Let Mr. Halbert do his job. Find someone else to pick on who really deserves it. People who behave like this, having to drag other board members personal situations into the public eye are nothing to me but insecure and childish. I want to see our children and teachers supported. I would love for all of the children to have new buildings to learn in. But it is not the building that teaches and guides our children. It is the adults inside. And I hope every single person who comes in contact with my child can act in a responsible and caring adult way. If not, please stay away from our children. Because my child, who is a honor roll student, will not be seen going to East Liverpool schools next year. Grow up! I hope Mr. Halbert doesn't leave the district. I can only imagine how hard it is to have to deal with a few of these board members. I just hope he will stay and stand up to the ones doing the bullying. Mr. Halbert isn't the only person who lives outside the district is he? Isn't there a few teachers or a principal, maybe even a school board member who may have a child that doesn't attend East Liverpool schools? Why is that? Things that make you go hmmmmmm.
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Bonnell is acting like a pompous ass!
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What a disgusting display of idiocy! (Bonnell's nonsense)
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The board president should grow up and stop acting like he is king of the world. Being president doesn't give him the right to be a jerk!
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If this is a discussion about Halbert and Bonnell why did he drag the other board members into it? Bonnell does not play well with others. He micromanages everyone and then takes personnel matters to the paper instead of behind closed doors. Exactly what he claims Halbert shouldn't have done. Hypocrite!!!
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My opinion is that: Halbert will continue to threaten to resign. He will start searching for another position with another school district. While collecting his retirement and superintendent salary...'bout 200K per year!!!
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I hope Superintendent Halbert can look above the head of the school board president and see that he is doing so much good for the students of East Liverpool, and that he will stay in spite of the bullying attitude of the board president. Mr. Hapbert seems to be very passionate about his students and this school district, and I hope he can put aside the bruises he must feel from someone with nothing better to do than to stick his nose in business best left to professional educators. Based upon his actions at the recent graduation, Mr. Halbert can really put the STUDENTS first. Boo to anyone who insists upon trying to rein in such a dedicated educator!
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Your so called "dedicated educator" has tried to pull this in every school district he's been in.It was proven by a group of his former employees and co-educators that he used this "tactic" in Wellsville, trying to either get his way or the highway which he ended up taking to get to East Liverpool.If you want this man to keep threatening the great education these kids are getting from East Liverpool because his "boss" gave him a hard time then you go ahead and take his side but if you really care about the kids in this city and in our school district than I think you better get to know Mr.Bonnell's side of the story a little better before you start your criticizing.
AquaMan7:31:41
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If Mr. " Puffychest " is such a great person, why not spend the money for the ads in the Review on something good for the school district. I know from experience what those ads cost. They could easily have paid for several underprivileged children to go to Camp Fitch or for supplies for a classroom project next fall. When Mr. Bonnell actually does something POSITIVE for the kids, then I may have a reason to say something positive about him. I doubt that will happen. Bad actions and bad decisions get more press anyway, and we all know Gary loves that attention.
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What about our pot holes????? We are in the middle of June and we're still the "Pot Hole" Capital of the World!!!
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I believe all of you who have responded to this are WAY out of line. If it wasn't for Board President Gary Bonnell, the brand new and amazing North Elementary would still not be finished and also there would be a lot more problems in our district, which we do NOT need right now. And as for letting the "hired" persons "do their job" without Mr.Bonnell there wouldn't be enough money in the school system's budget to pay for these "hired" men and women and they HAVE actually done their jobs since Mr.Bonnell was elected Board President. As for him asking Superintendent Halbert to "do his job" and not leave early every day and to arrive on time, isn't that what he's paid to do? At my job I would be fired and since I'm helping to pay his salary as a tax payer, I expect him to show up on time and only leave when his job has been completed. I lastly believe you all should meet Mr.Bonnell before you make these harsh criticisms of a man who has only done this for the KIDS and not for any personal agenda. He's more of a man than anyone I know for taking all this slack and hassle just to do his job that he was "hired"(elected) to do.I hope that Mr.Halbert doesn't leave,and I bet he won't.
Thank you Mr.Bonnell, AquaMan7:31:41
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Aquaman... you need to wake up and smell the coffee. For the KIDS??? This being the same guy that accused the more intellegent kids and the kids with " influence " as the ones causing the drug problems at the school? I am the parent of one of those kids.... and I am here to tell you Gary Bonnell is just what one of the people of high authority in the city of ELO said..... an idiot. And please ask him to get a picture of the way he looks now for the paper. You know all bloated and swelled up looking.
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Amen and Hallelujah to that brotha. Them durn intelligences always peddlin' they's cocaine in the spellin' beez and stuff!
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"If it wasn't for Board President Gary Bonnell the brand new and amazing North Elementary would still not be finished." You obviously have not been inside this "amazing" building that has only been occupied approximately 60 school days and is already showing signs of poor workmanship. Do you call paint peeling from the walls amazing? Because they are! Do you call having the sewer back up in the lobby and corridors amazing? Because they do! Do you call a section of the library ceiling falling due to a leaking pipe that is not even in use yet amazing? Because it has! Do you call malfunctions with the heating/cooling units amazing?
I'll tell you what I find amazing, one that a half done job is considered finished,and two that you have been recruited by this bully, so that you can regurgitate his propaganda. You are young and naive, hopefully you will mature without any residual scars from this, if you don't God help us all.
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Well I again believe that those who DON'T know what they are talking about should just put a stop to the nonsense NOW!As one of those who was a participant in the "recent graduation" how can you say that he "really does put STUDENTS first" the only thing Mr.Halbert did was introduce the former superintendents and special guests.To me that isn't doing enough to earn his INCREDIBLE salary.And to you "Bonnell is a man with too much time on his hands " yes Mr.Bonnell does have a lot of "free" time that would be between visiting the administration building to make sure the meeting that week is properly set up for and also after his work is completed trying to fix the problems that the principles have.I'm POSITIVE that if you ever met Mr.Bonnell,which I personally know he would meet with you if you ever were to ask him too,you would have a totally different opinion on this matter and you would be taking his side because it seems to be everyone likes to "bad-mouth" Mr.Bonnell anytime something happens or if he puts a toe out of line but no one likes to commend the man for anything and EVERYTHING he does.
AquaMan7:31:41
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Using caps lock doesn't make you appear any SMARTER or MORE RIGHT. See?
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why does scott dieringer's children go to beaver local???
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well actually they do not they attend the Christian School BECAUSE they asked there Dad AND Mom if they could
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"they asked there Dad AND Mom"
There? Their, perhaps? Not to mention innumerable other grade-school mistakes you have made throughout your poetic posts.
It's people like you who are actively proving how stupid the people that follow Gary Bonnell are. Thank you for that.
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He told me they go there because he doesn't want them subjected to all the bull.... at East Liverpool. But he assured me HE is going to change all that. Time will tell and the clock is ticking....
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East Liverpool is probably the only political arena in which a lowly custodian can rise through the ranks via profuse misinformation in order to achieve their end goal: To destroy the infrastructure of city and the education of its children.
To Mr. Bonnell and all of those in support of him:
It is your unparalleled misinformation and ignorance which has cost this city and its school district countless dollars and innumerable patrons in which to instill the most valuable asset: An education.
We understand your obsession Gary, it must be depressing to be as worthless and as you are but this isn't high school and you sure as hell aren't doing that motto that you sit under every week any justice by behaving like this.
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The more press this guy gets the more annoying and ridiculous he becomes. I hate his letters to the editor and I can't believe you'd post this lengthy diatribe to your website. He is obviously an ignoramous who probably really needs some psychiatric evaluation. That's no joke.
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Of course Estell and Dieringer aren't giving Gary any trouble... they are riding in his hip pocket.
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Oh of course they are riding in his hip pocket thats why Mr.Estell fights with Gary constantly and doesn't always agree with him.Thats why he spends sleep-less hours trying to fix the problems that people like YOU cause in this School District and in this City.Again maybe you should meet the man before you open your fat mouth and how dare you ever accuse him of riding in Gary Bonnells hip pocket he is his own man he makes HIS own decisions he votes the way he feels he should.Just because some of the board members vote one way and two others (who shall remain nameless) vote in the complete opposite way is just what politics is about the right to choose for ones self(it just so happens they are elected and cast their vote for the people they were elected by.
And if you have anything else to say about Mr.Estell you can e-mail me at lalexbud@yahoo.com and tell me what you think of him and I'm SURE I WILL prove you so wrong that your head will spin.So next time you feel the need to use ones name in vain think about who you might have to deal with afterwards(that being ME)
AquaMan7:31:41
A.K.A Alex ESTELL
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Its easy to prove people wrong when you're talking about your own father, Genius. Go outside and play; run along now, son.
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WOW! We sure do see who wears the pants in your family! lol
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I am in Bonnell's corner at least he has the gnads to get stuff done. ppl that say pompous are just dumb
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People that follow Bonnell are just dumb. No, I'm sorry not dumb. One of two things: uninformed or inbred. It takes about two seconds of talking to the average Bonnellite to realize how grossly uninformed they are on 99% of the issues.
Turns out that just because you're loud and obnoxious, it doesn't mean you're right. Gary is obviously taking a cue from Bill O'Reilly on this one. Ah, I hate Fox News.
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Those of you who are on here supporting Gary -- Have you even met him? Have you had the opportunity to look him in the eyes and listen to him talk? No? Well I have and I'm telling you, this guy is insane. Completely, certifiably insane. He's obsessive and paranoid and you don't dare contradict him or tell him know, or he will add you to his list of people to destroy.
And he will dig and dig until he destroys you with something or another.
Take, for example, Larry Walton. Larry is one of the most dedicated, gentle men I have ever met in my life. Yes, Larry had some tax problems...which Gary dug up. He fails, however, to tell the whole story of how Larry has worked out arrangements with the state in this matter. Larry WAS NOT being a criminal in this affair, and if he were, the state would have arrested him. Everyone makes mistakes, and these tax errors had NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT! They were personal.
The Larry Walton I know is dedicated to the community and the school district, and Gary is only making a big deal of all this because Larry made the judgment call to call him onto the carpet about something.
Gary Bonnell is a menace, and lives for this kind of strife. The more arguments and drama there are, the more he gets off on it. I honestly believe the man doesn't sleep or eat unless he has about five plans he's juggling. He's like East Liverpool's version of Dr. Evil, only not funny.
And he was perfectly fine with Mr. Halbert until Ken told him no a few times. Then the fight was on.
And Mr. Halbert is supposed to just uproot his family and sell his home to move to East Liverpool and live among people like Gary and his like? I don't blame him for not moving, especially when the school board president and the members who he got elected and who now owe him a debt want to fire him.
I urge the papers to start digging on Gary Bonnell and present us with a complete profile of this man. Where did he get his money? WHo knew him when he was young? What makes him do these kinds of things? Has he ever been accused of wrong doing?
The people who yell the loudest are the ones who usually have the most skeletons in their closets, and I'll bet Gary has a huge skeleton of his own.
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I heard a rumor he does; whistle-blowing or blackmail or something like that? Its not fact though.
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Wow, You hit the nail right on the head. Especially with your very last comment. All you say is Mr. Bonnell to a T. He thinks everyone loves him and is his friend, but heaven help you if you smite him. He becomes the devil incarnate. He will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. Imagine where the ELSD could go if Mr. Bonnell actually put his money and his mouth to use in a positive manner. Instead, he chooses to beat his chest and yell,"ME IN CHARGE" and the children (and parents) of East Liverpool are running off in droves. Except for the people who voted for him (the senior citizens I think) since those were the taxpayers he always seems to say he was "saving".
As another thought Mr. Bonnell is the reason this blog got started. I wonder if he is reading all these posts and sitting back laughing (an evil laugh, bwah ha ha soon it will be mine all mine!)because he has achieved yet another goal. Discord in the school district, better yet, the whole city of East Liverpool, or is he all red faced and ready to explode at the comments about him that are not so kind, yet so true. Ever wonder why his wife works out of town?
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You can rest asured Mr " Puffychest " is reading this. He thrives on this crap. And as for his skeleton... I think you need to look towards GM Lordstown. Antone know any union people from up there?
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I have met Gary Bonnell, and he is both certifiably wacko and scary in his desire to hurt East Liverpool schools and scholars. I remember when (2 years ago) he accused the Honor students of being the ones selling drugs at the high school, and I know many members of that class who were, and still are, totally above board, sober and better people than Mr. Bonnell could ever hope to be. It seems to me that his greatest desire is to see his name in print - good or bad, and to take down the schools in any way he can. If he cannot take them down, it seems that he will try to take credit for ALL good that happens there while squeezing them into smaller and smaller buildings. If you look at the current plan, to put all 7 - 12 graders in the high school building and then to squeeze all pre-k through 6th graders into 2 elementary buildings, it is not a choice that people thinking of the future of the district would put into place. I would not want my 7th grade daughters to be in the same building as the 12th graders! This is NO plan for a forward thinking district. It is my understanding that North Elementary, as wonderful as it is, is already over-crowded before adding back in any 5th or 6th graders!
Mr. Halbert, while sometimes abrasive, DOES seem to think about the students first. At the graduation ceremony, in addition to introducing and HONORING the past superintendents, he made a wonderful statement about a swinging door - always welcoming back the graduates. Remember, Alex? The people he had to introduce were mostly Bonnell's choices of individuals to stuff the audience with - politicals who travelled with our guest speaker - the first speaker in ages and ages to NOT be a graduate of East Liverpool! (again, Bonnell's insistance, to further his OWN political aspirations)
No matter how much people try to defend Bonnell, he is a self-important disgusting pig who does so much more harm than good in his efforts to truly be "king of the school district", rather than doing what he should be doing as board president, supporting the students, teachers and staff though the meetings of the board and its committees. Sitting in the superintendent's chair while he is out and continually claiming that it is his "right as board president" to do whatever he wants just magnifies his true smallness of mind and conscience.
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I have met Gary Bonnell, and he is both certifiably wacko and scary in his desire to hurt East Liverpool schools and scholars. I remember when (2 years ago) he accused the Honor students of being the ones selling drugs at the high school, and I know many members of that class who were, and still are, totally above board, sober and better people than Mr. Bonnell could ever hope to be. It seems to me that his greatest desire is to see his name in print - good or bad, and to take down the schools in any way he can. If he cannot take them down, it seems that he will try to take credit for ALL good that happens there while squeezing them into smaller and smaller buildings. If you look at the current plan, to put all 7 - 12 graders in the high school building and then to squeeze all pre-k through 6th graders into 2 elementary buildings, it is not a choice that people thinking of the future of the district would put into place. I would not want my 7th grade daughters to be in the same building as the 12th graders! This is NO plan for a forward thinking district. It is my understanding that North Elementary, as wonderful as it is, is already over-crowded before adding back in any 5th or 6th graders!
Mr. Halbert, while sometimes abrasive, DOES seem to think about the students first. At the graduation ceremony, in addition to introducing and HONORING the past superintendents, he made a wonderful statement about a swinging door - always welcoming back the graduates. Remember, Alex? The people he had to introduce were mostly Bonnell's choices of individuals to stuff the audience with - politicals who travelled with our guest speaker - the first speaker in ages and ages to NOT be a graduate of East Liverpool! (again, Bonnell's insistance, to further his OWN political aspirations)
No matter how much people try to defend Bonnell, he is a self-important disgusting pig who does so much more harm than good in his efforts to truly be "king of the school district", rather than doing what he should be doing as board president, supporting the students, teachers and staff though the meetings of the board and its committees. Sitting in the superintendent's chair while he is out and continually claiming that it is his "right as board president" to do whatever he wants just magnifies his true smallness of mind and conscience.
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Honestly, Gary Bonnell and those who follow him have to be mentally deficient in one way or another. He talks about how everyone is a liar or a bad guy or that they don't care about the school district, but I would be tempted to say nearly all the people who think he is the second Messiah don't know that he doesn't have children, his wife lives and works in another city, and other than her previously working in the school district, he has no ties to ELCSD. He's a retired whistle-blowing janitor-bully with a terrible hair piece and a closet full of too-small suits that has nothing better to do with his time while his wife is gone five days a week and he's home alone without any children. Get real Gary; the only 10-foot fence for 'protection' you need a permit for is the one inside your head to protect you from your own stupidity.
It's a shame he wasn't injured when that chair collapsed under his immense weight at the board meeting the other night. Boy was that a riot.
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Anybody have an information on where Gary gets all his free time and countless funds? And not the cherry-coated story but the REAL ONE.
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If anyone knows Gary on here; I hope they show him this ridiculousness, his little ticker probably wouldn't be able to handle it. Haha.
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Jayme,
you left out pompous
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As absolutely honorable as it is for you to defend your father, it is just as absolutely humorous for you to defend Gary Bonnell. Maybe when you get a few years on you Alex you will see how this man has put this district back 20 years or more. The only thing he is passionate about is wrecking lives, wreaking havoc, disrupting anything and everything, and trying to be in charge. It is difficult to be in charge when you have the respect of no one..... not your peers, the people that work and live in the district nor anyone outside the district. If he is so good at what he does, why is he hanging around a little dot on the map like East Liverpool. Shouldn't he be down at the statehouse in Columbus fixing up the whole state? Man, I bet they would just LOVE to have him. And if he is such a wonderfull person and such a tough guy, isn't it strange to run a website that has no contact and no e-mail. The only way to contact him is by phone and I am betting all calls are screened and I am sure he has privacy manager and name and number caller I.D. But then again, why would anyone want to contact him. If you don't say exactly what HE wants you too, you get sued. Wake up Alex. You got your education at ELHS. You are way smarter than this.
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I do believe Scott Dieringer's children attend Beaver Local, not the Christian School. They did go there at one time but I believe they are now at BL.
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Anonymous,
If you dislike our school so much have you ever heard of open enrollment? GO SOMEWHERE ELSE WE DON'T WANT YOUR NEGATIVITY HERE!!!!! I hear Bill Devon is looking for some new students...
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