New leaders will now be overseeing your child’s education in Muscogee County

The Muscogee County school board has new leaders.

During its monthly meeting Tuesday night, the board unanimously elected District 1 representative Pat Hugley Green as chairwoman and District 5 representative Laurie McRae as vice chairwoman.

The votes were 8-0. Kia Chambers, the nine-member board’s lone countywide representative, was absent.

Chambers was the board’s chairwoman in 2018. She said in November that she wouldn’t seek another year as the leader. She said she wants more time to finish her doctorate.

District 6 representative Mark Cantrell was the vice chairman in 2018. He didn’t contend to keep the position. In fact, no other board members were nominated for either position after District 4 representative Naomi Buckner nominated Green and District 7 representative Cathy Williams nominated McRae.

Columbus voters elect the school board members to four-year terms. Then, each January, the board members elect the chair and vice chair to one-year terms.

“Thank you to my colleagues,” Green said after she took the chairperson’s seat. “Thank you for the encouragement and the support, and we’re moving forward to a very prosperous and exciting and work-filled 2019. I know that we can bend our arc of public service toward excellence as we strive to reach exemplary status with the Georgia School Boards Association.”

McRae also thanked her fellow board members for their vote.

“I’m grateful for those who encouraged me to seek this position,” McRae said. “… I look forward to working with everyone as we work to strengthen and advance all of our schools.”

Tuesday’s smooth transition in leadership came in stark contrast to last year, when the board’s vote was split.

In January 2018, behind-the-scenes maneuvering culminated in a coup without public discussion. By the narrowest margin, with only five votes, Chambers became chairwoman as she, Cantrell, John Thomas of District 2, Vanessa Jackson of District 3 and Frank Myers of District 8 ousted Green. Buckner, McRae and Williams sided with Green.

The results of the 2018 elections mean two of the representatives who voted for Chambers didn’t return to the board in 2019. Mike Edmondson, is the new District 2 representative after Thomas didn’t run for re-election. Philip Schley, who served 21 years on the board (1972-81 and 1998-2010), including nine as chairman, defeated Myers in May for the District 8 seat.

As the meeting was about to adjourn Tuesday night, Schley asked whether all the votes were unanimous. Green confirmed they were. Schley exclaimed, “How about that!” and led a round of applause.

After the meeting, Green told the Ledger-Enquirer she is gratified to return to her chairwoman’s role.

“I love what I do,” she said. “I love supporting the families and the students that we serve. It’s very important, with public education being under attack, that we understand our roles so we can focus on the fight to make sure we provide a free and appropriate education for all of our students.”

And she is gratified to do it with unanimous support.

“It is a good sign that the board wants to focus on the work,” she said.

Mark Rice, 706-576-6272, @MarkRiceLE.

This story was originally published January 22, 2019 at 8:43 PM.