Early Thursday morning, the Blytheville School Board voted 6-1 to terminate Dr. Veronica Perkins as Superintendent due to an investigation into 21 misconducts during the 2023-24 school year. Issues included overpaying uncontracted employees, with bus drivers receiving up to $25 an hour instead of the approved $21, and trading a school vehicle for a more expensive one without board approval. The board’s seven-hour hearing involved five witnesses, and only Barbara Wells opposed Perkins’ termination, expressing concern about the impact on students. Board President Desmond Hammett emphasized finding a new superintendent quickly. Jennifer Blankenship will serve as interim superintendent. Perkins, who has called the investigation a “malicious attack,” plans to file a wrongful termination lawsuit if terminated.
https://www.kait8.com/2024/08/22/school-board-votes-terminate-superintendent
