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Search is on to replace school board member who resigned

Jennifer Frew | The News Herald

Community activist Bruce Ervin encourages the audience of the May 18 Burke County Board of Education meeting to behave in a quite and respectful manner.

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Burke County School Board Controversy

More articles about the Burke County School Board Controversy

By Steve Welker | The News Herald

Published: May 18, 2009

MORGANTON - The Burke County Board of Education almost immediately will start a search for a board member to replace David Barnard, who resigned May 2.
The vote came after a discussion in which board member Buddy Armour suggested leaving the seat open until November when voters will select a permanent member to serve the remaining two years of Barnard's term.
A state statute says the board shall — meaning, must — select a replacement member, but does not set a timeline for the process. Armour recalled that a board in a similar situation delayed naming a replacement until an election when fellow board member Sam Wilkinson won his seat.
In the end, the board voted 5-1, with Armour opposed, to go ahead with the plan to seek an immediate replacement.
School-district attorney Jon Jones will advertise the vacancy. The board will accept letters of application and resumes until May 31. The documents should be sent to the school superintendent.
Barnard represented the school system's Western District. His replacement must come from the same district. It's described in detail on a map at the Burke County Board of Elections' office.
"I think they need to be real sure about where they live," Armour added, in a gentle gibe at Norman, whose disputed residence in her district led to legal action and a protracted effort to redefine the school board districts' boundary lines.
The only other statutory requirement is that the board member must be eligible to vote in North Carolina.
Depending on how many people apply, the board will decide at its June 8 meeting whether to call them in for interviews.
Jones said the interviews, if the board decides to conduct them, should be in open session. He recommended the board interview "all or none."
The board's goal is to fill the seat at its June 30 meeting. The action will require only a simple majority.
June 30 also is the day when Superintendent David Burleson's contract ends.
Armour tried once again on Monday to convince his fellow board members to rescind their April 20 decision to terminate the contract. Doing so, he said, would avoid a lot of costs, including $8,000 for the North Carolina School Boards Association's help to conduct a search for a new superintendent, the open-ended bill for a special counsel's legal services (observers expect Burleson to sue the board for breach of contract), the continuing disruptions in the school board's meetings and "our reputations, possibly our livelihoods."
"I really am appealing to you to adopt some good, common sense," Armour said. "This is what we need to do to look after the welfare and well-being of our students."
Sam Wilkinson agreed.
"The potential cost could be staggering," he said.
The board majority rejected Armour's arguments, voting down his motion 2-4.
An estimated 300 people came to the school board meeting and approximately 250 stayed for all or most of it, though only half were allowed in the board room.
The meeting started off on a rocky note, with a few people shouting at the board. Norman repeatedly insisted that disruptions would not be tolerated.
When Jimmy Steele, continued his loud protests, Norman directed Morganton Public Safety Capt. Mark Bradshaw to remove Steele from the premises. Steele was escorted out, but was not arrested.
After that, Jones quietly explained the state's laws against disrupting public meetings and disorderly conduct.
"Nobody wants to see any of you arrested for any reason," he stressed. "I beg you just to maintain order and remain quiet while we conduct the business of the board."
After the board moved into a closed session to consider personnel and legal affairs, other people also urged the crowd not to be disruptive.
"Do not let them get the upper hand," Bruce Ervin said. "Victory in the end is for us to take back our school system."
When the board returned about 6:30 p.m. profound silence greeted them, broken only by a few coughs or sounds of throats' being cleared.