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Board attorney says Jan. 13 appointment followed board process; new member sworn in, board schedules ethics training
Summary
The Cabarrus County Board of Education reviewed public concerns about a Jan. 13 appointment to an open board seat, affirmed that a formal 4–2 vote followed procedure, and swore in Shannon Lancaster. The board attorney and chair committed to future trainings and to taking formal votes to recess.
The Cabarrus County Board of Education addressed public questions about how it filled an open seat at its Jan. 13 meeting, affirmed that a formal vote was taken at that meeting, and swore in the newly appointed member, Shannon Lancaster.
Board attorney Eisenhower told the board that "the chair has asked me to provide some clarification regarding the procedures that were followed and the vote that was taken at the January 13 business meeting to fill the open seat on this board." He said there had been public concern about the process and clarified that "there was never a quorum of board members that met during the recess," and that the appointment itself was completed with "a separate formal vote consisting of a proper motion, a second, and a 4 to 2 vote to appoint Mrs. Lancaster to fill the open seat."
The board chair then administered the ceremonial oath. Judge Marty McGee presided over the swearing-in; Shannon Lancaster answered, "I do," when asked to uphold the U.S. and North Carolina constitutions and to discharge the duties of a board member.
In response to public concern about the process used during the Jan. 13 meeting, board attorney Eisenhower said the board had accepted constructive criticism and planned further training: "the chair has requested that the board attorney schedule a training session for the full board to cover these topics and review applicable policies including but not limited to policy 2000, policy 2.110, and policy 2120. This training session has been tentatively scheduled for Monday, March 10."
Board Chair Walter and board members thanked members of the public who submitted a petition and said they had read the feedback. Pam Escobar, a board member, explicitly thanked the community for contacting the board and said such input "does not fall on deaf ears."
The chair also said the board will take formal votes for recesses going forward, changing the practice of relying solely on consensus for recesses.
Ending: The board completed a short photo recess, then resumed its work session with the agenda adoption and other items. The training date and the process-change commitment give the board a clear, publicly stated next step in response to the concerns raised about the Jan. 13 appointment.
