Gary’s Thea Bowman Leadership Academy gained five new members on its seven-member board of directors Wednesday.
The school has been enmeshed in leadership turmoil since June when its authorizer, Calumet College of St. Joseph, raised concerns over the school’s governance by its seven-member school board.
Calumet College hired an attorney who concluded the Bowman school board “was not equipped to continue operating,” according to the minutes of the June 16 meeting of the charter authority board.
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Calumet College sent Bowman a letter giving it 15 days to restructure its school board. The letter warned non-compliance would result in a non-renewal. Bowman is up for renewal of its charter next year.
Thea Bowman’s remaining school board members Anthony Titus and LoShay Willis, who both joined the board in April, voted Wednesday to appoint Anthony Manuel, William Outlar Jr., Karen D. Price, Dr. Janet Seabrook and Dr. Anthony Grady to the board.
The new members weren’t present at the meeting. Superintendent Marlon Mitchell said they’ll be sworn in at an upcoming special meeting.
Titus said he and Willis interviewed all the applicants.
A representative from Calumet College didn’t attend the meeting, but Carrie Hutton, the director of Calumet College’s charter authorizer board, voiced support for the new board on Thursday.
“They’re on the right trajectory… the two members who stayed are terrific. We’re very happy with the direction they’re moving,” she said.
Hutton said her charter authority board didn’t feel Bowman’s previous school board fulfilled its fiduciary responsibilities.
“There was nothing illegal,” said Hutton who added the school board didn’t live up to Calumet College’s expectations, especially in the area of academics.
“We were concerned the level of governance was not where we wanted it be,” she said.
Hutton said Calumet College regularly sends representatives to the school to monitor it, including its governance system and academic programs.
Hutton and Bowman attorney Jewell Harris Jr. said the two-member board were legally empowered to reconstitute the new board.
“This amounted to a reconstitution of the board. There are only currently two board members. There was no lack of a quorum because no other board members were missing,” said Harris.
“Those two board members, based on advice of the authorizer, were charged with heading the process of advertising, recommending and approving new members and that’s what they did,” he said.
Superintendent Marlon Mitchell said some of the former board members had stayed on after their terms expired.
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“I think Calumet College was on the side of following the bylaws,” he said.
Mitchell downplayed the threat to revoke the charter.
“Our charter still is and still will be there,” he said. “They just wanted the board to follow the bylaws.”
Meanwhile, Mitchell reported fall enrollment increased from 724 students last year to 815 when school began Wednesday, Aug. 26.
The school is also improving its academic performance.
Bowman students improved its IREAD third grade literacy test score from 75% passing last year to 87% passing in results released earlier this month.
Mitchell said because of the improvement, Bowman will no longer require the state-supported additional literacy instruction.
Officials said the school also improved its graduation rate from 75% to 95% and its faculty saw in the number holding the proper credentials — from 43 to more than 90 who have the correct subject matter licenses.
The school also added 25 dual credit courses and seven degree or certification programs.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.