The ball is now rolling to gain insight into the Dec. 4 departure of former superintendent Egbert Stang from the Pembina Hills school division.
The Westlock News began the process to request information into his departure under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act last week.
Both Stang and the board remain tight-lipped as to what happened within the division that led to it being without its top bureaucrat.
“When it comes to private (matters), individuals’ privacy and confidentiality are of utmost (importance) and I’m not, and as a board, we’re just not prepared to comment,” said board chair Doug Fleming.
He refused to provide insight into what was discussed at the Dec. 3 special meeting held the day prior to Stang’s departure and would not comment if Stang’s future with the division was discussed in the hour-long meeting, saying it was a privacy issue.
The minutes for the meeting stated that legal advice was sought and that the board would act on the legal advice provided.
Fleming would not comment on the nature of the advice and would not reveal the names of the lawyers contacted in the matter.
“In today’s world, corporations spend a lot of money getting legal advice for all kinds of issues that come up in today’s complex world. We’re no different,” he said.
“In some cases, we use Alberta School Board Association lawyers and other times we use other lawyers we’ve received good advice from in the past.”
In an interview with the Westlock News on Dec. 18, Stang was unwilling to comment on the nature of his departure, but revealed he had just completed a successful evaluation with the board.
Fleming said these evaluations are routine, but would not discuss the outcome of Stang’s evaluation, citing a privacy issue.
“We have a board evaluation every year in terms of how we are doing as a board and all of our staff are in various stages of having an evaluation done on their work as well in an effort to provide good support to kids,” he said.
In the evaluation, it is typical to review a job description and use its requirements to measure the success of the individual, whether they are a board member, teacher or superintendent, he said.
“That’s how we would provide continuous improvement for our staff and in that, of course, we’re providing better support to our kids and our families,” he said.
When asked about the circumstances when an individual is terminated or resigns from the division, Fleming said it was a “privacy issue” and could not comment on whether severance packages are typically handed out.
“I’m not trying to be belligerent here, but when it comes to individuals, it becomes a privacy issue,” he said.
The Westlock News has also learned that Stang isn’t the only individual no longer with the division. Donna Holloway, the former technical director, was recently replaced by Alex Mottus who is acting as the director.
Fleming was not willing to comment whether Holloway quit or was fired from her position or whether it has anything to do with Stang’s abrupt departure.
The division hopes to have a plan in place after Christmas in terms of what will be done to find a new superintendent, he said.
Under the FOIP Act, public bodies are required to respond within 30 calendar days of receiving a request.
