Orange County Schools Surprisingly Shake Up Board Leadership

The atmosphere was tense at times on Monday night during the meeting of the Orange County Schools Board of Education.

Several votes occurred in succession, all falling along the same 4-3 result. The board was set to fill a leadership role after Sarah Smylie said that she would be vacating the vice chair role, while remaining on the board.

Board chair Brenda Stephens then said that she had heard interest from some board members in reorganizing the board leadership, including Stephens, ahead of the upcoming traditional changeover in July.

Board member Matthew Roberts voiced his support for moving forward reorganizing the board.

“I don’t think that coming back in three meetings is justifiable,” Roberts said. “I think that we need to just get focused and going forward.”

The board voted 4-3 to reorganize on Monday night, with Will Atherton, Stephen Halkiotis, Tony McKnight and Roberts voting in the majority over Hillary MacKenzie, Smylie and Stephens. But the board did not have enough support to waive the policy that calls for a July reorganization, which would have required five votes, so another vote for board leadership will be held over the summer.

During the voting process, members of the public voiced concern over the board’s actions and the lack of public discourse.

“We’re supposed to get an opportunity to speak,” one said.

Another member of the public continued to speak as the board was voting via write-in ballot on who would be chosen to lead the board.

“This is not ok, at all,” she said. “I’ve never witnessed anything like this.”

Concern from the community ranged beyond the public nature of Monday’s decision, to also point out that the four male members of the board were voting – against the votes of the three women on the board – to remove the black, female board chair. Stephens appeared to attempt to reassure the public.

“They can take the chair, but they cannot take the voice,” Stephens said.

Will Atherton was elected as the new board chair. Tony McKnight – one of the two black members of the board, along with Stephens – was elected as vice chair.

There was no reason given during the meeting as to why the vote to reorganize the board was held Monday night.

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