The Guilford County Republican Party Executive Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, Aug. 30 to select a new District 3 Guilford County Board of Education member.
According to the state law passed by the North Carolina legislature on August 17, the District 3 Board of Education seat is once again vacant and the person selected by the Guilford County Republican Party Executive Committee will be sworn in at the next meeting of the Guilford County Board of Education, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19.
The law states, “If the county political party executive committee recommends an individual in accordance with this subdivision, that individual shall take the oath of office at the next regular meeting of the Board.”
The requirements in the law are that the individual selected by the GOP Executive Committee be a qualified voter who resides in District 3.
The new law removes any input from the Guilford County Board of Education in selecting or seating the replacement, unless the GOP executive committee fails to select a qualified individual to fill the seat within 30 days of the vacancy.
In this case the vacancy occurred on Aug. 17, when the state law went into effect, because another section of that law states, “The term of office of any individual appointed by the Guilford County Board of Education to fill a vacancy occurring between December 1, 2022, and the effective date of this act shall expire on the effective date of this act.”
That portion of the bill ended the term of Bill Goebel, who was elected by the Guilford County Board of Education to fill the vacant seat created when former District 3 Guilford County Board of Education member Pat Tillman was elected as the District 3 Guilford County commissioner in November 2022 and resigned his seat on the school board.
After Tillman’s resignation, the Executive Committee of the Guilford County GOP selected Michael Logan to fill the vacant seat. But according to the law at that time, the Guilford County Board of Education had to vote to accept that nomination and the Guilford County school board repeatedly voted along party lines to refuse to accept Logan.
This is the second attempt by the state legislature to clear up the problems in seating a new member to represent District 3. In the first attempt, the Guilford County Board of Education determined that the Guilford County Republican Party Executive Committee had not properly voted to select a new District 3 school board member in 30 days in accordance with the law.
That interpretation resulted in the school board rejecting Logan, who had been selected by the Guilford County GOP, and appointing its own choice to fill the seat, Goebel, and Goebel was therefore the District 3 school board member until removed by the new state statute on Aug. 17.
So the vote this week by the Guilford County Republican Party Executive Committee to select a replacement for Goebel should be the penultimate step in appointing a new District 3 school board member. However, all bets are off until the Tuesday, Sept. 19 meeting when that nominee should be sworn into office, unless the current school board can find a way around the new law.
State law needs to be changed to make ALL school boards across this state totally elected. NO school board should be allowed to vote on any member’s eligibility, or fill any vacant seat. MAKE ALL SCHOOL BOARDS RESPONSIBLE TO NORTH CAROLINA VOTERS!
Well, let’s see what Skip-the-Hyp comes up with now.
If Michael Logan was the first choice of the Guilford County Republican Party Executive Committee, why would there need to be further consideration? Michael Logan should be the nominee and should be sworn in on Sept 19. Deena Hayes and the school board attorney, Jill R. Wilson with Brooks Pierce law firm, be damned. Let us hope that Deena Hayes and Jill R. Wilson are found guilty of violation of § 143-318.10.
Had Pat Tillman just finished his term instead of running while being a sitting elected official, this wouldn’t even be an issue
Guilford County Schools is so messed up, the whole school board and administration office needs to be replaced. If we want real change in schools, we need to push the legislature to take over. Throw out offensive books, deny name changes and “gender identity” changes by students or parents, and hire armed secured to protect our children.
I also don’t understand why we keep hearing about teachers having to buy supplies for students. Are parents so stupid now that they can’t make sure their kids have paper and pencils when they get on the bus or out of the car? And I thought everything was online now. Why do you even need paper and pencils.
If your have been paying attention you know the state doesn’t scare Guilford County we do what we please still might not seat Logan and date the legislature to try to takeover they couldn’t enforce a takeover because they are not in control of the state troopers that’s the Governor we are in control here there is no one to protect you from us