Trustee calls for ouster of Vegas school superintendent

Thursday, Oct. 9, 1997 | 11:16 a.m.

The move comes after Assistant Superintendent Elise Ax accused Tarkanian of blocking passage on a $15.5 million budget. Cram and Ax say Tarkanian blocked the budget until Ax promised not to reduce the duties of an employee, and to buy $270,000 in computer software.

Ax said she has taken and passed a lie detector test supporting her claims.

"We need to clean house. We need to get rid of Dr. Cram," said Barber, a retired elementary school principal who has been on the board since January. "He's not right, and we do not need a person at the top who's not right. He has divided the staff, and he's trying to destroy the board."

Cram called Barber's comments a surprise and said he wouldn't speculate on the extent of board support for her position.

"It's unfortunate that a board member has chosen to engage in a public ambush when she has had ample time to discuss any significant items of concern face to face," Cram said. "My intent is to not involve myself in all the political schemes going on. My intent is to concentrate on the kids."

Ax, who oversees all federal funding for at-risk programs, said Tarkanian knew the June 26 budget item had to be passed by July 1 or else the district risked losing $15.5 million in grants. Yet Tarkanian pulled the item, as is a trustee's prerogative, and then listed her demands in a private meeting with Ax and Cram, the administrator said. Tarkanian later moved to revive the item, and it was passed.

Tarkanian denied the back-room deal occurred, saying she did not know delaying the vote would cost the district any money.

Tarkanian admitted she pulled the item because she feared the planned duty changes for an employee were part of job harassment by Ax, but she said it was Ax who offered the concessions without prompting in the private meeting.

The incident has become a focal point of a pending lawsuit filed by the school administrators union seeking to prove trustees routinely overstep their authority.