Melissa Skinner

Hundreds of parents and residents packed a Crook County School Board meeting Monday night to back Athletic Director Rob Bonner, whose position had come under scrutiny, while demanding the termination of the district’s superintendent.

The school board unanimously voted to request that Superintendent Melissa Skinner retain Bonner in his role and also declined to advance an unspecified complaint against him. The Crook County Middle School gym served as overflow space as emotions ran high, with attendees applauding the board’s actions but voicing frustration over a lack of details surrounding the issue.

Board member Scott Cooper addressed the crowd, explaining the limits of the board’s authority over personnel decisions and the role of the legal process in such matters.

“And it’s also unfortunately true too that the way the system works, the superintendent has total control of the assignment of personnel to jobs and the ability to hire and fire, so the board cannot direct the superintendent in personnel matters,” Cooper said before initiating the motion to request Bonner’s retention, a move that drew applause from the crowd.

The board determined the complaint against Bonner had reached its conclusion at step three of the district’s four-step review process, effectively closing the matter after the superintendent’s evaluation.

The board did not discuss the complaint and no detail was given regarding what it was about.

Skinner had a death in the family and was not able to attend Monday night’s meeting.

There are no pending disciplinary reviews of Bonner according to the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. His administrative and teaching licenses are active through 2028.

Bonner did not respond to a request for comment.

Complaint against Skinner circulating

Parents and community members have begun a complaint petition against Skinner, due to “concerns regarding her hiring practices and management of school district staff,” according to the written complaint obtained by The Bulletin.

The concerns revolve around the hiring of former board member Jessica Brumble for the district’s transportation manager role, the hiring of Skinner’s husband Michael Skinner to the principal role for Grizzly Mountain Homelink, the district’s home schooling option, concerns around Bonner’s role and general concerns about Skinner’s handling of complaints raised against staff.

Brumble was appointed transportation manager for the district last week and resigned from the school board Dec. 10. She is set to begin her new position Dec. 30.

The board vacancy will officially be announced at the next board meeting on Jan. 13.

Cooper said all steps had been properly taken but that the decision was “eyebrow-raising.”

“We submit that (Skinner) has materially damaged the reputation of the District and we are asking the board to consider a ‘No Confidence’ vote for her employment termination,” said the complaint.

The complaint requests that Skinner be investigated and removed from making employment decisions, that her communication with board member Cheyenne Edgerly be documented and that the hiring processes for Michael Skinner and Brumble be reviewed.

There were worries in the community over the weekend that Bonner had been terminated. Cooper said Monday afternoon that Bonner is still employed by the district.

“He’s exceptional and he’s done a really good job,” Cooper said.

Cooper said that he felt the situation with Bonner escalated prematurely.

Crook County High School students staged a walkout from school Monday morning in support of Bonner. At the school board meeting, several people held signs in support of Bonner and Steins Pillar Elementary School Principal Brian Kissell. One sign read “What happened to transparency????”

During the meeting, a community member called out asking how to remove Skinner from her position, which led to an uproar.

In response, Cooper said, “So the answer to the question is that the superintendent, unlike other employees, has a very serious contract. There’s also statutory protections for superintendents that don’t exist for other positions, so moving precipitously on that tonight would not be in the district’s best interest in terms of liability … That doesn’t mean it can’t come back at some point the future, but tonight won’t happen.”

The complaint against Skinner said, “Please consider the urgency of this complaint and recognize that the Crook County community is growing frustrated and fearful of the direction Superintendent Dr. Skinner has taken our school district.”

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