Event to greet school's new staff.

Byline: Karen McCowan The Register-Guard

BROWNSVILLE - The Central Linn School Board is inviting parents and other area residents to an open house Thursday night to meet the district's all-new team of top administrators.

The event to introduce Superintendent Kermit Jones, high school Principal Julie Knoedler and elementary Principal Brad Sperry will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the district's administrative center, 331 E. Blakely St.

The controversy-weary board hopes to head off dissention over its April hiring of Jones to replace former Superintendent Max Harrell, who resigned in January after the state censured him for gross neglect of duty and the Central Linn board discovered that he had converted a voluntary 2003 pay cut into vacation days, then later cashed in without board authorization.

The board hired Jones over the written objections of nearly all of the district's three dozen teachers, who accused Jones of racist and sexist comments during visits to Central Linn schools. Former principals Michael Bremont and David Bolin, who also opposed Jones, soon made good on promises to find jobs elsewhere. Athletic Director Josh Grotting and six district teachers also resigned.

Board Chairman Pat McConnel said the open house is a chance for district residents to judge the new administrators for themselves.

"We want to give the communities of Halsey, Shedd, Peoria and Brownsville a chance to meet the administrators before school starts," she said. "We want people to see what fun, neat people they are."

Jones, who will earn $80,000 a year, has been on the job since June 1. "I've worked together with a district committee to hire two excellent principals," he said.

Knoedler is a first-time principal who has worked as a teacher and administrative intern at Kennedy Alternative High School in Cottage Grove. Sperry was a social studies teacher and activities director at Coquille High School, with experience as a K-12 special education teacher and program coordinator.

McConnel said the board considered Jones - who led a failing Oklahoma district to meet federal standards - its best candidate.

And board member Verne Hoyer, who visited the Crutcho Public School District in Oklahoma, said regional differences may explain issues such as a complaint that Jones winked at a female Central Linn parent.

`In the South, they wink at people when they say `hi' all the time,' he said. `His own staff really supported him. I met with the chairman of the school board back there; he was African-American and just raved about him. I talked with business people and parents, including one mother who intentionally moved into that district so her at-risk children could go to his school.

`And the students loved him - it didn't matter what race they were.'