Muscogee County School Board elects new chair, vice chair

One day after it looked like determining this year’s leaders of the Muscogee County School Board would take multiple votes because nobody appeared to have a majority of support, a behind-the-scenes deal was struck to oust the chair.

After only one round of voting, and without anyone explaining their votes, board chairwoman Pat Hugley Green of District 1 handed the gavel during Tuesday night’s meeting to Kia Chambers, the nine-member board’s lone countywide representative, and Mark Cantrell of District 6 became vice chairman.

Chambers, who was vice chairwoman this past year, received five votes to be chairwoman: from herself, Cantrell, John Thomas of District 2, Vanessa Jackson of District 3 and Frank Myers of District 8. They are the same board members who, by a one-vote margin May 15, rejected the superintendent David Lewis’ controversial recommendation to hire Camelot Education, a private, for-profit company based in Austin, Texas, to run three alternative education programs for $6.4 million annually, serving students with severe emotional or behavioral problems, severe discipline code violations and those who are over-age and under-credited.

Green, who was chairwoman this past year, received four votes to remain as chairwoman: from herself, Naomi Buckner of District 4, Laurie McRae of District 5 and Cathy Williams of District 7.

“Congratulations to our new officers,” Green said as she yielded to Chambers, who conducted the rest of the meeting.

Board attorney Greg Ellington conducted Tuesday night’s voting for the board’s leadership positions. The votes were taken in order of their nominations. Buckner nominated Green, then Jackson nominated Chambers.

Cantrell participated in the meeting via phone. Chambers nominated him for vice chairman, and nobody opposed him.

Chambers is the seventh chair of the board since 1993, when it became an elected governing body instead of being appointed by the grand jury. She follows Mary Sue Polleys (1994-2006), James Walker (2007-08), Philip Schley (2008-10), Williams (2010-12), Rob Varner (2012-16) and Green (2017-18).

After the meeting, Green told the Ledger-Enquirer she didn’t see this coming.

Asked why it happened, she said, “I assume they wanted the change and garnered the votes.” Asked to be more specific, she said, “I honestly don’t know.”

Chambers told the Ledger-Enquirer, “I want to thank the board members who have enough faith in me to vote for me, and I know there’s a lot of work ahead, and I’m looking forward to working with Dr. Lewis and the rest of the board to make sure that we keep moving the district forward.”

As for what she hopes the board will accomplish while she is chairwoman, Chambers said, “I would love to see us become a great governance team, where every voice counts, every vote counts and everyone feels important and included and we work hand-in-hand with the administration to keep the children first, to make sure we keep the main thing the main thing. It’s all about the kids.”

Chambers cut off the interview when she was asked what happened since Cantrell told the Ledger-Enquirer midday Monday that he still sought the chairmanship and nobody had enough support to be elected chair in one round of voting. Before walking away, she replied with a smile, “I’m not sure. I’m not sure.”

The Ledger-Enquirer didn’t reach Cantrell for comment Tuesday night.

During the meeting, Myers stood and applauded when Chambers was elected chairwoman. He indicated a reason 15 minutes later.

While explaining why he abstained from the unopposed vote that approved Joseph Slaughter as the Muscogee County School District’s new internal audits director, replacing the retired Susan Taunton, Myers said, “I hope this election (of a new chair) tonight is a new era because if I’m going to hire somebody in one of my businesses, I’m going to meet them before I hire them.”

Myers has voiced similar objections when superintendent David Lewis recommended board members approve hiring an administrator they haven’t met.

“Since we are charged under the law to hire these people,” Myers added, “I think that’s just the least we can ask for. One thing you can do as chair of this organization, Madame Chair, you can just refuse to call these things up for a vote until that happens. As we’re in this new year and we have new leadership, I hope you will seriously make it mean something.”

Chambers told Myers, “Thank you for your explanation.” She then deferred to Jackson, who said she spoke with six colleagues at Childcare Network, where Slaughter was controller and asset manager from 1996-99, and nobody had anything negative to say about him.

As members of the audit committee, Chambers said, she and Green and McRae, the finance committee chairwoman, “sat in on” the interview with Slaughter.

This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 7:43 PM with the headline "Muscogee County School Board elects new chair, vice chair."