Brunner Parents and Students Petition Custodian's Transfer

According to the parents and students of Brunner Elementary, Urban Riggins is one of the most valuable assets at their school.

“He’s a safety advocate, a counselor, a janitor and a friend,” one mom recently told the Board of Education. “Why would you want him to leave?”

More than 60 parents and students from Brunner showed up to the Board of Education meeting Thursday night to echo that sentiment, after recently learning that their beloved custodian, who’s more commonly known as Mr. Dewayne, may be transferred to a night shift position at the high school.

The board spent over an hour hearing pleas from those in attendance, many who shared stories of how they’d been touched by Riggins’ kindness and dedication.

Past students attributed Riggins’ concern for them as the reason they kept their grades up and stayed positive in the classroom. Parents noted that he goes out of his way to make sure their kids are safe and happy, and that he has a remarkable ability to inspire them, while also keeping them in line.

“My son was a little nervous on his first day of kindergarten,” one mom told the board. “Mr. Dewayne made it a point to find my son and make him feel better.”

Other parents expressed how excited their children always are at the end of the school day to share stories about how Riggins showed them his latest magic trick during lunch or joked with them in the hallway.

Brunner children brought letters, petitions, and even a sign that proclaimed “Save Mr. Dewayne! He rocks!” to the meeting.

The few young ones who addressed the board kept their messages short, but sweet.

“Mr Dewayne makes Brunner funner,” one little girl said.

Board President Trip Whitehouse acknowledged that custodial positions had been cut during this past budget season, but that Riggins’ transfer was also part of a realignment of the custodial staff. Whitehouse said that some parents’ recent concerns with facilities at the high school prompted the district to relocate some of its staff to deal with the issues.

“The board tasked the administration with less people, and told them to come up with the best way to deploy our assets,” he said.

Brunner mom Susan Judge organized the turnout Thursday night by sending e-mails to her fellow parents to notify them of their potential loss.

"These kids need him," Judge said before the meeting, adding that she's concerned the new night shift position will affect Riggins' ability to earn income, since he already has an additional night job.

“We realize that you can’t discuss personnel issues, but you can choose to do what’s right,” Judge told the board members. “Please don’t let (the students) down.”

Whitehouse told the audience that typically for the board to discuss an individual personnel member during executive session, the situation would have to be in reference to a disciplinary issue. Since that’s not the case in this instance, he said they’d have to find a way to discuss the transfers in general and not call out a specific employee.

“On the one hand I say, ‘boy, you’re selfish for just wanting him at Brunner,’” Whitehouse said, jokingly. “On the other hand, you have to recognize that from the district this was an area that we were told to get things done the best way you can.”

The board ultimately decided that three members would be charged with gathering more information on the transfer situation, and then report back with their findings next week. The group tabled the vote on the transfer until its Sept. 24 meeting.

Whitehouse was quick to remind the parents and children that just because the board was looking into the matter doesn’t guarantee that the transfer will be reversed.

“We’re looking to get more clarity on what it is, but it won’t necessarily change the decision or vote,” he said.

One parent asked how the district decides which individuals to move, and why another custodian couldn’t be transferred so that they could keep theirs.

Whitehouse responded by explaining that employees are distributed for a variety of reasons, depending on their individual skills and where they’re needed.

Parents were quick to remind the board that regardless of what school Riggins works at, it’s a disservice to put him in a night shift position where he can’t do what he does best: interacting with children.

“What’s best for our children, this decision has to be judged on that question,” father Ed Fanning said. “Letting him go and moving him into another school on a night shift is not in the best interest of our children.”