FREE AT LAST! FAMU finally rid of Bill Jennings

FAMU is finally rid of a trustee who served as an obstacle to saving the Developmental Research School (DRS) from the Holmes brothers.

Bill Jennings’ term on the FAMU Board of Trustees expired on January 6, 2013. The Florida Board of Governors named his replacement today. Jennings was the last of the original 12 FAMU trustees appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush back in 2001.

Jennings used his seat on the board to make many highly selfish and questionable decisions through his 12 years at FAMU. One of the lowest points came during his second term as board chairman from 2009 through 2011.

Shortly after then-Trustee R.B. Holmes personally nominated Jennings for reelection as BOT chairman in 2009, word spread on campus that there was an understanding that DRS Superintendent Ronald Holmes (R.B’s brother) brother would not be summoned before the BOT to answer tough questions about what he had done to DRS.

Sure enough, Jennings declined to bring Ronald before the board to answer tough questions about the ongoing crisis at the K-12 school from 2009 through 2010. The DRS school grade dropped from a “C” in 2008 to a “D” in 2009 after Ronald’s first year.

Ronald finally resigned from his position at DRS during the summer of 2010 and landed a plum teaching job on the faculty of the College of Education. He finally left FAMU’s payroll altogether on September 23, 2010. His exit came in the wake of angry criticism from FAMU students who demanded accountability.

Bill Jennings was never a real Rattler. FAMUans are all better off with him gone.