A smaller school board?

A smaller school board

It is time for a smaller Pitt County Board of Education.
In June 1986, a 15-member Interim School Board was authorized by state statute upon the merger of the Pitt County and Greenville City school boards.
There were many people who did not believe in the merger of the two systems. Strong sentiment against merger was especially prevalent in the Pitt County system. Yet, the votes prevailed to effectuate the merger.
Members of that board included county board members, Mark W. Owens, Jr., James. W. A. (Jim) Black, Ferrell L. Blount III, J. Beverly Congleton, Jr., Walter E. Gaskins, Robert A. Halstead, Sr., Anne M. McGaughey and Stephen W. Tripp. Greenville members included George E. Williams, Erma S. Carr, Frank D. Grooms, and Stephen G. (Jack) Wall. Added to that board were Alfreida Jordan Parker, Matthew Donovan Phillips and David Lee Shackleford.
Eventually, the board was reduced to 12 members. There were discussions during the merger process of further reducing the board. Yet, despite that discussion, the size of the board remains, as it was initially set.
It is time to reduce the 12-member board to nine to mirror the election process of the Pitt County Board of Commissioners. Six members would be elected from the same six individual districts while two super districts would be formed for the election of three additional members.
The 12 members of the school board that exist today are elected from six districts. There are two seats, known as A and B, in each district. Each seat has a 6-year term. The A seats and B seats are staggered for election. Members are elected on primary day and qualified at the first meeting in December.
What would a reduction of the school board membership do for education?
I believe it would make the board more manageable and easier to reach consensus. There would be savings involved with the monthly pay that school board members receive for their services and possibly other savings related to the loss of the three members. I believe, too, that by have three super districts (the combination of two individual districts), it would broaden the thought process of those three members.
At the very least it is time to discuss the reduction of the Pitt County Board of Education. We need to do it in a methodical and intelligent way. But, in the end, we should do what is best for the education process.
Current members of the board include (listed as A seat first and B seat second):
District 1: Michael Dixon and Ralph Love
District 2: Billy Peaden and Mary Williams
District 3: Marcy Romary and Jill Camnitz
District 4: Roy Peaden and Barbara Owens
District 5: Richard Tolmie and Jennifer Little
District 6: Mary Grace Bright and Benjie Forrest
Watch for the poll coming up regarding this issue.