‘Just hurt and sad,’ School board votes to oust head volleyball coach during packed meeting

Posted 1/15/15

The Park County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees voted 7-0 to approve a list of coaches for the fall 2015-16 season that didn’t include Smith’s name, leaving the head volleyball coach position vacant. Tim Wormald, the PHS athletic …

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‘Just hurt and sad,’ School board votes to oust head volleyball coach during packed meeting

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Dozens of supporters clad in orange and black showed up Tuesday night for a school board decision that was quick and unanimous: Cindi Smith will no longer coach the Powell High School volleyball team.

The Park County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees voted 7-0 to approve a list of coaches for the fall 2015-16 season that didn’t include Smith’s name, leaving the head volleyball coach position vacant. Tim Wormald, the PHS athletic director, and Kevin Mitchell, the district superintendent, recommended the list to the board.

Smith, who teaches kindergarten at Westside Elementary, had served in the coaching position for 17 years.

“I’m just hurt and sad,” Smith said Wednesday morning. “Because I worked really hard to build the program. And I’m sad that I don’t get to continue working until someone else came in to take over.”

Smith declined to comment on why she thought the board made its decision or what led to it.

School leaders called it a difficult decision.

“It’s an unfortunate situation, and not one that is easy for anybody,” Wormald said Wednesday. “We thought we needed to move in this direction ... we weighed the situation and what continued to be  growing concerns, and had to make a decision that was in the best interest of the students at Powell High School.”

He said the decision wasn’t made immediately after the volleyball season ended because leaders wanted time to hear from several people and weigh everything.

Wormald said he has spoken with Smith in the past.

“We’ve had some meetings, this year as well as in previous years, to address the concerns that I had about the program,” Wormald said.

None of the people at the meeting Tuesday, including Smith, addressed the school board Tuesday night. Roughly 70 people signed in, and more than 75 people attended the meeting.

Board chairman Rob McCray opened the meeting by saying public comments are not allowed on personnel issues.

“Obviously, this is a heated topic and something that everybody has an interest in,” McCray said. “I want you to know the seven of us have read every email, we have listened to every phone call and we have listened to every comment that we get downtown, and we have taken all of that into advisement, and tonight each individual board member will vote what they feel is in the best interest of all of the kids.”

When asked Wednesday why the board won’t discuss personnel matters or allow public comments on personnel during its meetings, McCray said it’s “to protect everybody involved.”

“There were people last night who supported one side and others that supported another, and we’re not going to give a public platform to allow people to attack our employees,” McCray said Wednesday. “It also opens up the district to liability and possible legal actions with what could be said.”

It’s a general policy whether an issue involves a teacher or a coach, he said. Wormald said that policy is for an employee’s protection.

“With personnel situations, we can’t discuss the details,” he said.

State law says government employees’ personnel files and performance ratings are private. It also allows governments to close their meetings to the public when considering the dismissal of public employees or when hearing complaints against them, unless the employee requests a public hearing.

Smith unsure about appeal

Smith said Wednesday she hadn’t thought anything could be done to address the matter publicly. She also wasn’t sure whether she could appeal the board’s decision.

“I’ve never been in this situation in my entire life, and I don’t really know,” Smith said. “I let the chain of command deal with it and I followed that. I don’t really know what else can be done.”

The closed-door nature of the matter left many questions unanswered. Chief among them: Why was Smith let go?

Residents in the community and on social media said meetings with upset parents led to Smith’s dismissal.

“I could not be more disappointed in our school board and community,” said Paige Baxter, a PHS fan and alum, following the board’s decision. “It’s going to cause sadness in our community.”

In online comments, many of Smith’s supporters questioned and criticized the board’s decision, citing Smith’s successful coaching history.

Smith guided the Lady Panthers to a 35-3 record and a third-place finish at the Class 3A state tournament in November, one season after winning the 3A title, her second as head coach. Smith’s teams also have qualified for seven of the last eight state tournaments, placing in six.

She also led a local youth volleyball program, working with young players in their years leading up to high school.

Smith said she’s sad that she won’t get to work with PHS players and kids in the club and camp.

“All the time I put in was for the kids, and I’m going to miss them,” she said Wednesday. “I feel like I’ve always put my best foot forward and worked hard for them. And I guess I always thought it would work out because of that. When you work hard and go the extra mile, it will turn out.”

Smith also thanked people for their support.

“There was an overwhelming amount of support — from players to former players and families through phone calls and emails,” she said.

Wormald said he understands and appreciates that people feel strongly about a coach and want to offer their support.

It wasn’t the first time Smith’s position as head volleyball coach was in jeopardy.

In April 2005, then-Superintendent Don Cravens, acting upon what he later said was the direction of the school board, recommended dismissing Smith, football coach Jim Stringer and girls basketball coach Luke Danforth. That decision was later reversed after a packed meeting on the firings, and all three coaches were retained.

A Powell police officer attended Tuesday’s meeting at the request of the school district, according to Sgt. Alan Kent. There were no issues or problems, Kent said Wednesday.

Prior to its vote Tuesday, the board met briefly in an executive session, which was closed to the public. McCray said the board met in executive session to clarify a couple of things before the regular board meeting started.

McCray declined to comment Wednesday on whether the board had executive sessions on the issue prior to Tuesday night or whether board members had met with parents, citing that it’s a personnel matter.

“I’ll tell you that the board took this issue very seriously — all seven members of the board spent a lot of time on this issue,” he said. “And they were very diligent in the process ... Every member takes every decision seriously, but issues like this are very, very difficult.”

Wormald said the head volleyball coaching position will soon be advertised, with hopes to fill that position this spring. Candidates may come from within the school district, the community or even a new hire this spring, he added.

Smith said she is keeping her options open for the future and focusing on her kids, Kalei and Kalina.

“My main focus will be finishing off Kalei’s senior year, helping to figure out where he will play [college basketball], and helping Kalina with her options and opportunities in the future,” Smith said. “We just have to see what’s in store for us.”

(Tribune Sports Editor Joe Alberico and Managing Editor Tom Lawrence contributed reporting to this story.)

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