LEBANON - School board members who voted last month to place Superintendent Jim Robinson on paid administrative leave say they want a full performance review of the district, including academic, athletic and personnel programs and whether they're achieving desired results.

They acknowledge, however, that the arm's-length list of issues will take many months to sort out.

Board members plan a work session at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 to narrow down the list of topics to evaluate and move forward on the process' timeline.

Rick Alexander, Josh Wineteer and Debi Shimmin voted Aug. 1 to place Robinson on leave. Sherrie Sprenger and Chris Fisher abstained, saying they would not take action on an issue they believed was being carried out improperly.

Alexander, a longtime critic of both Robinson and of programs he has spearheaded in the district, said he wants an independent "bottom to top review of the district" and that it's necessary for Robinson to be removed from that process for it to proceed.

"All I'm asking for is someone who can give us the reality," he said.

Speaking in a phone interview from his home last week, Robinson said he has contacted his attorney but has taken no legal action. He said he has no plans to retire, resign or look for other work at the moment.

Controversy has plagued the district on and off since long before Robinson's hiring in 1998, but his tenure has brought about some particularly far-reaching changes.

Some of his programs, particularly a small-schools effort at Lebanon High School and a learn-at-your-own-pace program called the Student Achievement System, have drawn scathing criticism from parents and teachers.

Tempers also have flared at board meetings because of conflicts between board members, particularly over how they should work together and where their responsibilities should end.

A rundown of issues creating much of the controversy:

Lebanon High School's academy system

The background: District officials, concerned about the dropout rate and the level of academic achievement, proposed to the school board in 2002 a plan to re-form the 1,300-student high school into four separate "systems."

The idea was to keep students with similar academic interests together in smaller groups, where they would form closer relationships and stronger attachments to their studies.

In 2004, a $950,000 grant from "E3: Employers for Education Excellence" helped get the program under way.

The concerns: Many students found the systems too limiting and protested the lack of transfer opportunities. Electives and higher-level courses were reduced. Teachers said the separation forced them to compete for scarce resources. Board members questioned the extra administration.

In 2006, E3 withdrew its grant, saying the district suffered from "fragmented leadership" and was not making adequate progress under the partnership's timeline.

Currently, the four systems remain.

Vocational education

The background: Some vocational programs at Lebanon High School have shifted focus in recent years, away from more traditional welding and shop programs and toward a more academic focus that includes pre-engineering.

Robinson, Physical Systems Principal Ken Ray and other district officials say the change allows every student to be prepared, if he chooses, to go on to higher education as well as to work or go to a trade school. They point to changes in industries that rely on computers and robotics to perform yesterday's hands-on tasks. They also stress growth in the high school's agricultural programs, particularly at the land lab.

The concerns: The high school's auto shop program has been defunct for several years and its welding program languished for two years without a certified instructor, issues critics say mark an overall lack of support. Some tradesmen also argue against the increased emphasis on bookwork, saying manual labor is still an important part of the job.

Teacher issues

The background: The Lebanon Education Association reported a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Jim Robinson in 2004, calling his leadership "oppressive," and gave him an approval rating of less than 10 percent. No formal votes have been taken since then.

The LEA also filed an unfair labor practice claim a year ago on President Kim Fandino's behalf, alleging retaliation against her for performing union duties. That claim, which centered in part on a reprimand Fandino received for communicating with a board member, has not yet come to a decision.

According to union figures, teacher turnover in the district has hovered at between 10 and 14 percent, not including retirees, since 2003. With retirees, the range widens to 17 percent, with a spike of 30 percent in 2003, the year the district ended its full-benefit retirement program.

The concerns: Although district officials say nearly all transfers in the past few years have resulted from teacher requests, critics say Robinson and/or principals who support him transfer against their wishes teachers who speak up about issues at their schools.

About 65 percent of the teachers who responded in May to a poll by the Lebanon Education Association said their morale is low. Some specifically cited fear of involuntary transfers for those who make waves, and others decried the district's emphasis on state testing.

Educational policies, including the Student Achievement System and small-schools program at Lebanon High School, have been met with skepticism and resistance by some.

Student Achievement System

The background: Robinson got the SAS under way in 2000. The idea was students should advance grades only when they have mastered the subject material, not simply move on because the calendar says it's time.

Such a system, he argued, allows "continuous progress." It would eliminate holding kids back, social promotion and boredom for bright kids because it would allow everyone to move at his own pace.

Many of the district's classrooms are multi-age, and most schools now refer to children by one of four "benchmark levels" instead of grade.

The concerns: Many parents don't like the idea of grouping children academically when age differences start to rise. Several families transferred this summer from Green Acres Elementary School upon learning the principal there planned to expand math, reading and other subject groups schoolwide, instead of within one or two classrooms.

Teachers roundly panned the SAS on the LEA poll, saying student moves play havoc with relationships and curriculum coverage, peer groups are an important part of social development, special education students are being shortchanged and too much emphasis is placed on state testing. Some said they appreciated the philosophy but found it impractical for day-to-day teaching.

Special education

The background: In 2001, the Lebanon School Board voted to require students to be able to prove they could read, write and calculate at an eighth-grade level before allowing them a diploma.

Board members at the time wanted to get away from the fact that students could get a D and still pass a class. Their proficiency was to be measured by passing scores on the state assessment tests.

The proficiency policy took effect in 2005. Students who don't make the required score can take the tests again. Tutoring and extra class time is to be made available if necessary.

The concerns: Some parents have said necessary services for their special-education children have been delayed or denied. Some have asked whether the district's approach violates Oregon law. Three special education teachers, who have since resigned from the district, wrote a letter to board members and district staff saying they believe more accommodations should be available, including alternative tests and an appeals process. They also want more support for students and training for staff.

Teachers say the biggest issue is the fact that special education students must meet the same requirements in the same way as students in the general population. No modified diploma is available, for instance, although a new law will require them as of July 1.

Board conflicts

The background: Board member Rick Alexander and his fellow board members have had frequent, occasionally heated, disagreements over how meetings should be held, how district issues should be handled and what the board's role in the community should be.

The concerns: Alexander and Josh Wineteer have criticized Robinson and fellow board members for:

• Planning allegedly improper executive sessions. Chairwoman Sherrie Sprenger disagrees with their interpretation of district policy.

• Various actions that affect Sand Ridge Charter School, including putting the former Crowfoot School up for sale instead of leasing it to the charter school. District officials have said the school needs to be sold "at fair market value" to recoup some public funds and remove the district from any liability.

In turn, other board members have criticized Alexander and Wineteer for:

• Removing themselves from Robinson's regular evaluation process. Both men have said this was on advice of legal counsel after Robinson sued them for alleged contract interference.

• Talking about district issues between themselves and bringing preformed decisions to the rest of the board without the benefit of public discussion. Alexander and Wineteer have said they have a right to speak with their constituents and act on their behalf.

Alexander has also drawn board criticism for sitting in on special-education meetings with individual students, attempting to be a part of a state investigation of improper religious activity at Sand Ridge Charter School, seeking help from the state Attorney General in gaining district documents without simply asking for them and refusing to come to agreement on a board member's role.

Alexander has said he will continue to act on voters' behalf and is not going to support actions he believes are wrong for the district.

Lebanon schools: A timeline of turmoil

July 1, 1998: Jim Robinson hired on a three-year "rolling" contract that automatically renews unless written notice is received by March 15. He receives an evaluation yearly.

He had previously served as superintendent for nine years at Dubois School District in Wyoming and for five at Reedsport. He had one year remaining on his contract in each location when he found a new job.

June 1999: Sand Ridge, Sodaville and Tennessee schools close as part of a restructuring plan aimed at making the district more efficient.

Work begins on a campaign to pass a $49.85-million bond measure to renovate six schools and build two new ones. District officials begin work on plans to shut down five additional schools. Robinson and other district officials begin what will later be known as the Student Achievement System.

May 16, 2000: Bond measure passes, surpassing the required "double majority" voter turnout.

Late 2000: Officials with the school district, city of Lebanon and Lebanon Community Hospital begin negotiations for a land swap to give the city the Lebanon Middle School property and the school district land for the new Pioneer School. The district begins pursuing the purchase of 12 acres for $900,000 to construct Riverview School.

January 2001: Community rumblings begin over the negotiated price for Riverview. Some residents question the property's potential for flooding and whether it will be a safe location for a new school given road speeds and the proximity to the river. Others criticize the choice to build schools for kindergarten through fifth grade and kindergarten through eighth grade instead of a new middle school. Protest petitions circulate.

March 2001: After nearly two hours of heated community debate, the school board agrees to buy the Riverview property.

June 2001: One of the most vocal critics of both the Riverview decision and the way work was handled for Pioneer, Rick Alexander, helps form a political action committee, Citizens For Accountability. The group files a recall petition against board members Tom McHill, Cory Koos and Renee Lindsey for the Riverview decisions. The effort fails in September for lack of enough signatures.

January 2002: District officials present the school board with a plan to divide Lebanon High School into "small learning communities."

June 2002: Lebanon Middle School and Queen Anne, Crowfoot, Waterloo and Gore-Tennessee schools close.

August 2002: Board members approve a redesign for Lebanon High School, which includes space for four separate "academies" and work on the vocational classrooms.

September 2002: Riverview and Pioneer open. Teachers and district officials call for state mediation after bargaining stalls.

October 2002: The teachers' union threatens a lawsuit against the district for moving five work and conference days during bargaining and without teacher input. More than 100 union members picket a board meeting.

March 2003: Contract talks reach formal impasse. This is resolved later in the year when both sides ratify a new contract.

May 2003: Rick Alexander and Sherrie Sprenger elected to the Lebanon School Board.

June 2003: Faced with a state budget shortfall, board members adopt a budget that cuts 40 teaching positions and three high school sports.

Fall 2003: Rumors and questions persist about Lebanon High School's vocational program. Principal Ken Ray stresses the program will be more academic in nature and include an engineering component but won't be discontinued.

April 2004: Lebanon is selected to receive a $950,000 grant from Employers for Education Excellence, known as E3, to develop its small-schools program.

June 2004: The board decides on a 3-2 vote to contract out custodial services, prompting the classified union to file an unfair labor practice claim because of the timeline board members followed in reaching their decision.

October 2004: The Lebanon Education Association reports a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Jim Robinson, citing "oppressive" leadership.

December 2004: Tempers flare at a board meeting when members accuse Alexander of acting outside his responsibilities as a board member. At issue are Alexander's involvement in a state investigation of improper religious activity at Sand Ridge Charter School and his approach in gathering district information. Alexander responds with assertions that he will continue to act in the public's interest. Similar flareups take place over the next several months.

February 2005: The district's classified association also announces a no-confidence vote in Robinson.

May 2005: Josh Wineteer and Chris Fisher elected to the Lebanon School Board. Alexander is re-elected.

September 2005: After a series of parent complaints, the board authorizes some flexibility in taking classes outside one's "academy" at Lebanon High School.

October 2005: The state Employment Relations Board upholds the classified union's complaint on the custodial outsourcing decision and rules the district must give the employees back pay and benefits.

February 2006: Robinson files a lawsuit against Alexander and Wineteer, alleging interference with his contract and with district policies. Both "individually engaged in actions and conduct regarding the affairs of the Lebanon Community School District while presenting himself as exercising authority as a board member which actions and conduct were not authorized by the Board," according to the complaint.

The LEA files an unfair labor practice complaint on behalf of President Kim Fandino, alleging retaliation against her by the district for performing union duties. Fandino said part of the retaliation was a letter of reprimand for an e-mail she sent to Wineteer asking for clarification on a motion he'd made to allow more flexibility in the academy system. This claim has not yet received a ruling.

A motion to not renew Robinson's contract fails on a 2-2 vote, with Fisher abstaining.

March 2006: A political action committee forms to recall Fisher, Sprenger and Tom McHill for supporting Robinson-initiated programs, including the high school academy system. The effort fails for lack of enough signatures.

June 2006: E3 pulls its grant funds for the small-schools effort, saying the district suffers from "fragmented leadership."

January 2007: Robinson drops his lawsuit.

May 2007: Debi Shimmin elected to the Lebanon School Board; Sprenger re-elected.

August 2007: Shimmin, Alexander and Wineteer vote to place Robinson on paid leave pending a district review. Robinson's decision not to renew an athletic director contract for Seven Oak Assistant Principal Bo Yates draws community criticism. Assistant Superintendent Steve Kelley is named acting superintendent.