On Sept. 3, 2025, the Henderson County School Board voted by voice to appoint Stephanie Cantwell to fill a vacant board seat after the local Republican Party submitted her name to the board under the applicable vacancy process.

The appointment fills a seat tied to a partisan election; the board chair said state law requires the party that won the seat to submit a replacement when a vacancy occurs. The board approved the agenda and then moved to the appointment, which passed on a voice vote with members saying “aye.”

Cantwell is a native of Henderson County and has more than 20 years in law enforcement, the board said during the meeting. She joined the sheriff’s department in 2012, has worked as a school resource officer and began supervising the district’s school resource officer program in 2018, and serves as an adjunct instructor at Blue Ridge Community College. Board members also described her recent work on a school-justice partnership plan involving law enforcement, the schools, juvenile justice and the court system. The board noted she has been recognized by the North Carolina Justice Academy.

Board members offered personal remarks and praise for Cantwell’s work with students, including her role in the STAR program (Sheriff's Teaching Abuse Resistance), a curriculum approved by the district for fifth graders. Several members said Cantwell’s experience with students as an SRO and as a parent informed their support for the appointment. The board chair asked for a motion to appoint Cantwell; the motion was moved and seconded, the board voted “aye,” and the appointment was approved.

After the vote, the chair said Cantwell and her family would remain for a swearing-in ceremony and the board adjourned. The meeting record shows voice votes only; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.