Wichita ? The owner of a camp for juvenile offenders has accused the Goddard school board of violating the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

Dick Kelsey, owner of King’s Camp near Goddard and Lake Afton, contended the board went into executive session to discuss and make a decision about his proposal on education at the camp. He filed a formal complaint against the board with Kansas Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall’s office, which sent it to Sedgwick County Dist. Atty. Nola Foulston.

Jeanette Clary, a spokeswoman for Foulston, said the office had received the complaint and was reviewing the allegations. She did not know how long the review would take.

Kelsey appeared before the board in January to discuss the education of juvenile offenders attending King’s Achievement Center a division of King’s Camp. Among Kelsey’s concerns were too little classroom discipline and a lack of administrative supervision.

The district, which hires the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center for services at the camp, has taken steps to address Kelsey’s concerns, school officials say. Board members hired an on-site supervisor, and the district plans to provide the classroom education next school year instead of paying the service center.

Kelsey said he had been scheduled to speak at a board meeting April 8.

“I had submitted to the board a request for them to contract with me to educate the kids here at King’s Camp,” Kelsey said. “I would have control of the educational system. I ran a school for 10 years; I know what the boys need and, frankly, they (district officials) don’t.”

Before Kelsey was to speak, the board went into executive session to discuss matters with its lawyer, John Robb. Kelsey claims the decision to reject his plan occurred during the executive session, which he contends is a violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

“I think the school board has acted totally improperly,” Kelsey said.

Robb said board members had taken no action during the executive session. He said the board had chosen to take no action on Kelsey’s proposal, adding that public officials generally do not make negative motions.

“Most of the deliberative bodies make positive motions,” he said, such as approving to pay bills or accepting a contract.

“Mr. Kelsey for months has been wanting the board to just hand their job over to him,” Robb said. “They’ve chosen not to do that.”