School board elections to still be held during primaries

A motion by Fred Holt during his 1992-1996 term moved the Board of Education election from the November general election to the May primaries. On Tuesday night, Holt made a motion to undo that decision.

It took a tie-breaking decision from Chairwoman Margaret Brown, but the Board of Education election will remain in the May primaries rather than the November general election.

"I was trying to undo (the previous decision) because more people will vote in November than they will in May," Holt said Wednesday.

Board members Pam Thomas, Ronnie Ross and Lina Padgett Parker voted for keeping the election in May. Jeff Brown and Mary Ann Sharpe voted in favor of moving it to November.

Brown made the final vote, stating that she was against the move.

"The majority rules, and they voted it down, and I can accept that without any problems whatsoever," Holt said.

Keeping the Board of Education election in May, Thomas said, will help the board remain focused on education rather than politics.

"I do not feel that the Board of Education should get caught up in the political ego thrusting that goes on during the November election," she said. "When we take office in June, it is right before the school year begins and there's a learning curve that new board members have and this gives (you) an opportunity to move into your role as a governing body a little easier than it would in December when you're in the middle of the school year already.

Brown, like Thomas, is worried about politics overtaking education in the race.

"Our election is nonpartisan and that's the way I feel it should stay mainly because it puts the emphasis on schools and education rather than partisan politics," she said. "I don't really think there's much of a place for that in trying to get the kids educated in Onslow County."

However, Sharp said moving the board's election to November would simplify the process for area voters.

"I feel like the whole election should be in November. It has been nothing but confusion since it's been changed," she said, explaining that the switch was a done deal when she joined the board in 1994. "We have more people in Onslow County that are confused, and will continue to be confused as long as we have elections any other time than November. It appears to me that primaries should be primaries and elections should be elections so we can clear up confusion once and for all."

Contact Jacksonville/Onslow County reporter Amanda Hickey at 910-219-8461.