BOE Discusses Current Vacancy

The Stephens County Board of Education will hold off for now on moving forward with filling the board seat left vacant by the resignation of Dr. Elizabeth Pinkerton.

Pinkerton resigned earlier this month and board members discussed how to move forward at their meeting on Tuesday.

Stephens County School Superintendent Bryan Dorsey said that policies and statutes in place call on the Board of Education to select someone to fill a vacant seat on the board.

However, Dorsey said that there are no guidelines that are mandated.

The last time there was a vacancy, the Board of Education accepted applications and conducted interviews before choosing someone to fill the vacant seat.

Board Member Jim Bellamy said that with just a year left on Pinkerton’s term, it might be best to just wait and let the voters decide.

“Would it not be feasible until that election and then the winner of that election, go ahead and appoint them?” asked Bellamy.

Bellamy noted that the primary election is in May and a winner could be decided then.

However, Dorsey noted that if both parties have a candidate, determining a winner will not happen until November.

Board member Jeff Webb said there is a concern about having just six board members for any length of time and that is the potential for a stalemate on the boad.

“I am also concerned that between now and election time, we have 6 people, we have 3-3 votes, that could easily happen,” said Webb.

Meanwhile, Dorsey said that while the law is clear that the school board is tasked with filling the vacancy, the timeline for doing so is much less clear.

“It does not delineate a timeline,” said Dorsey.

Dorsey also said that the school system has not received official word that the Governor has accepted Dr. Pinkerton’s resignation, which Dorsey says must happen for it to become official based on what he has been told.

Following discussion, Webb made a motion for the board to begin advertising for applications for the seat. That motion failed 4-2 with Jim Ledford, Jim Bellamy, Rod Moore, and Tony Crunkleton opposing the motion.

Ledford then made a motion to table the matter until the Governor accepts the resignation.

“If we go ahead and appoint and they still have not accepted the resignation, it may be illegal for them to sit on the board,” said Ledford.

That motion passed unanimously.