Hurley school board declines to discuss personnel issues

HURLEY - In the first meeting since Hurley High School Principal Jeff Gulan was placed on leave, the Board of Education declined to discuss any personnel issues in open session Monday, citing district policy and the due process rights of its employees.

A large crowd attended the meeting but most weren't permitted to address the board.

Board President Joe Simonich, who was retook the oath of office at the beginning of the meeting following his re-election earlier this month, acknowledged the size of the audience and why they were there at the beginning of the public comment portion of the meeting.

"I'll go out on a limb and assume that you're not all here to see the kindergarten presentation," Simonich joked, referring to a presentation by several the district's kindergartners later in the meeting. "You're here for the support, or non support, of an employee.

"It is the Hurley district's policy not to discuss the personnel issues in open session. I will not take comments pertinent to any single employee, either past or present. However, I know a lot of you are here for a show of support. I would be willing to allow one person to give a brief statement of the support and why you are here as long as we stay out of specific names and so forth."

Jeremy Wicklund, who graduated from Hurley in 1994 and lives in Appleton, Wis., came forward to address the board. He praised the district and credited administrators with its success.

"I've spoken to the students of this school ... one of the things that I've told them is, 'You guys are lucky, you're at good school. You're at one of the best schools - in my mind the best school - in The Range and one of the best schools in the state.'" Wicklund said. "Hurley, in my mind, is the standard in The Range. (It's) the new standard."

He then praised the work that has been done to further improve the school since he attended.

"When I attended here, it was a great school. And I think from the top down, they've taken it to the next level. I won't get into any names but I think the principal position is big in that. I've seen growth from the time that I was here until now ... one individual has played a huge part in that, in my mind a few individuals have played a huge part in that," Wicklund said.

After the meeting, Wicklund confirmed to the Daily Globe that he was referring to Gulan and that he would have liked to say more but the board's instructions to avoid specific names prevented him.

Wicklund also expressed disappointment that the situation got to where it did while addressing the board, saying that he prefers that individuals work together to resolve conflicts rather than having them play out in public.

When ending public comment, Simonich said the district would follow procedure.

"There is a prescribed due process that we intend to follow to the letter. People in the public sector are protected under statute from having these things, any kind of personnel matter, disclosed in open session ... I'm not going to violate anybody's due process here tonight, let alone the individual that is not here," Simonich said. "I can assure you all there is a process, there is a policy, the board will follow it and sometime in the near future, I'm sure there will be something forthcoming so that people are a little more informed as to what's going on."

Following the meeting, Simonich declined to comment on anything specifically related to Gulan's status with the district.

Gulan was placed on leave on March 23.

Among other board actions:

-Board members were invited to the district's kindergarten graduation on June 4.

-The board accepted the resignation of teacher Hope Bretting, who took a job in another district according to Administrator Christopher Patritto.

-The board heard a presentation from the Northwoods Manufacturing instructors, updating the board on the success of the shops.