Editorial
New hire: More discussion needed?

By: STAFF 01/08/2004

The North Kingstown School Department has added another administrative position, called a "resource development manager" but the launching has not gone all that smoothly.
The $55,000 position was originally intended to be a grant-writing post but the scope of the job description was subsequently changed. The new hire, Janice Hill-Stinson, will be responsible for "the development, coordination and linkage of the district and community resources with a focus on public relations, funds development and educational support."
The appointment, effective Feb. 2, was approved with a 5-2 vote of the school committee. The two nays were from Committee Vice President Denise A. Coppa and member William Mudge who felt that there should have been more information given to the committee. A third school committee member, Kevin Mulvey, held the same opinion but voted for the hire nevertheless.
While apparently the process used to screen candidates and fill the slot was all properly done, there were three school committee members who felt that such a heavy hire deserved more committee involvement, especially since this was a new position. It should be pointed out that none of the reservations they expressed had anything to do with the qualifications of Hill-Stinson, who apparently has solid credentials.
But things are not working smoothly in the school department these days and the administration, in particular Dr. James Halley, the superintendent, has been criticized by some parents for his decision-making and what they contend is a lack of public relations prowess.
It is interesting, then, that one of the duties of this position is public relations although we are told it refers to public relations in connection with parents and parent/teacher groups and not the media.
No one can argue against the need for grant and fundraising personnel in any school department these days. Grant writers are generally expected at the outset to at least raise enough money to offset their own salaries with any surplus benefiting the department or agency. We are sure all North Kingstown taxpayers hope Hill-Stinson is extremely successful in her fund-raising activities-after all, the local tax burden, caused mostly by schools, is getting ponderous.
But it would seem to us that the criticism registered by three school committee members that such a significant hire deserved more committee involvement is valid, especially since there is widespread criticism that the North Kingstown School Administration is pretty top-heavy already.


©The Standard Times 2004