According to Scarfo, HISD board policy prohibits any board officer from serving two consecutive years in any office. Dixon was appointed to serve a second consecutive term as board president during the board’s June 21 meeting.
“The board directly violated board policy BDAA Local, which expressly provides that, ... I quote, ‘No officer of the board shall serve two consecutive years in any office,'” Scarfo said during the Aug. 9 meeting. “It's very important to recognize that this is about following our own board policies that we have sworn to uphold.”
Scarfo suggested that Dixon resign from her post as board president and be temporarily replaced by Vice President Nancy Morrison.
Officials from the district’s legal team said that because there were not any items pertaining to the nominations of board officers on the Aug. 9 agenda, Scarfo would be required to request the matter be taken up at a future board meeting.
However, Scarfo continued to push for an immediate resolution.
“It's a simple matter that if we have a violation, it needs to be corrected, and in this particular situation we do,” Scarfo said. “It's not a matter of an individual. It's a matter of a policy.”
Dixon said she understood Scarfo’s concern, but she declined to take up the matter because it was not on the board's Aug. 9 agenda.
“We have to follow protocol, and the protocol is that it is not on the agenda tonight,” Dixon said, noting the board’s previous discussions with its legal team led her to believe that no policies had been violated with the appointment.
No action was taken on the matter during the Aug. 9 meeting. HISD's next regular board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.
