NOREEN: Where do the bucks stop in D-2?
The Colorado Secretary of State’s elections office reports that Harrison School District 2 Superintendent Mike Miles donated $800 to the re-election campaign of D-2 Board President Deborah Hendrix in October 2009.
Such a donation would not be illegal, but most people would agree it’s pretty unusual for a superintendent to abandon neutrality so he can help pick winners and losers in the school board election. Despite the legality, it sure doesn’t look good that a board member charged with leading the job performance evaluation for the superintendent would accept $800 after voting to give him a raise and a contract extension (see my blog) — which Hendrix did in 2008.
It’s not like it was one of hundreds of donations that went unnoticed, either. A campaign report filed by Hendrix lists just four donations totaling $2,100, so it’s impossible the $800 from Miles was lost in the shuffle.
Surely anyone would be crazy to suggest there was any quid pro quo here. Let’s just say that Miles’ donation looks like pay for performance.
It would be great to talk to Miles and Hendrix about it, but they both took a pass on interviews this week.
Declining to elaborate, Hendrix said: “If you’re asking these questions to try and write an article, I’m not going to answer those.”
Through a D-2 spokeswoman, Miles said he “did not personally give a campaign contribution.”
Because Miles declined an interview, it’s hard to know what to make of that. All we have to go on is the secretary of state’s web site: https:
When you check it out, you will see the donation with Miles’ name, listing his home address, which is in Academy School District 20 — meaning that we can rule out “concerned resident of Harrison School District” as the reason for the donation.
“To me it’s a conflict of interest,” said Mike Stahl, director of the Pikes Peak Education Association. “I don’t think it’s ever appropriate for the superintendent to play in the politics of the district.”
Miles likes to dabble in politics. The one-time U.S. Senate candidate recently endorsed Andrew Romanoff in the race for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, even though no one was curious about who would receive an endorsement from a school superintendent.
Oh, well. The 2009 D-2 board race is ancient history now. Hendrix won, and this week she’ll vote on new governance rules that consolidate more power in the superintendent’s office.
It’s a good thing for Miles that Hendrix was successful. His contract is up for renewal in April.
And boss, if you’re reading this, don’t expect a check for $800.
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