After heavy criticism from the State Department of Education and the public, the Selma City School Board has approved a plan meant to correct any inappropriate actions and state and federal law violations within the school system.

During the Selma City School Board’s monthly Board meeting, the local school board voted to approve the corrective action plan. The vote was 3-2 with the Selma City School Board President Henry Hicks and board member Udo Ufomadu voting against the decision to approve the plan while Selma City School Board Vice President Frank Chesnutt and board members Brenda Randolph-Obomanu, Kirit Chapatwalla voting in favor of the approval.

“When it gets to the point that children are being molested in school and the parents are concerned, the only way you can get them to trust us again is by getting them involved,” Ufomadu said. “So when we voted not to include the citizens, I’m not for that.”

The State Department of Education launched an investigation of the Selma City School in June that led to “evidence of noncompliance with requirements, standards and protocols governing instructional activities, standardized testing, graduation requirements and other state and federal guidelines.”

After the investigation, the State Department of Education ordered Superintendent Gerald Shirley to submit a corrective action plan within 21 days to the State board for approval.

The State Board approved the plan in November, and it was then sent to the local board for review. The corrective plan had to be approved before implementation.

According the plan, the local school system strives to: institutionalize processes and procedures to improved overall instructional program and academic performance; implement a comprehensive monitoring system to ensure accountability at every level of school operations; institute a continuous system-wide evaluation program including, but not limited to, assessing teachers, administrators, central office, superintendent and program areas; develop and implement a continues plan for building public trust in the Selma City School Community.

“We have board members, but two are constantly undermined,” Ufomadu said. “We don’t actually know what’s going on and that’s wrong.”

Ufomadu said that he refuses to accept the plan no matter the feedback he receives from others.

“I don’t think I will go along with this,” he said. “I know that lot of people are going to hold this against me, but that me. “

The deadline for the first progress update is March 15, 2014.