The Hoke County Schools Board of Education pulled Policy CODE 2230, governing board committees, from its consent agenda on Jan. 13 after an hourlong discussion about whether to cap committee membership at three.

Board member Speaker 3 asked that Policy 2230 be removed so it could be discussed at length and refined. The motion to remove the item passed on a voice vote, and the policy was not adopted at that meeting.

Opponents said a hard limit of three members creates the perception that a small group will set policy without adequate full‑board deliberation. "There's no reason to limit to three," Speaker 4 said, arguing the board must follow Policy 2120’s guidance to provide full discussion at publicly held board meetings. Several members said they have been told in past committee meetings that non‑members could attend but not participate in votes; they asked for a clear statement from the board attorney on what non‑members may do during a policy committee meeting.

Supporters of the three‑member structure said the committee was established to manage a heavy backlog of policies that had gone years without review. Speaker 1, summarizing the committee’s origin, said the board created a smaller working group because the full five‑member board repeatedly found it difficult to schedule time to read and update dozens of policies. "It was overwhelming," Speaker 1 said, noting committee membership was set by prior agreement and reviewed by legal counsel.

Board staff (Speaker 6) framed the committee as a preparatory body that performs the detailed work of revision and then forwards recommendations to the full board for first and second readings. "The policy committee itself is not making those decisions on behalf of the board," Speaker 6 said, adding that a first‑and‑second reading process remains in place.

Several members called for procedural changes so the full board could see summaries of minor, state‑mandated edits and reserve longer discussion only for substantive changes. Speaker 4 suggested consolidating routine edits into an information item and singling out policies that require more detailed review.

Chair Speaker 1 said the board would not decide on membership tonight but would seek volunteers to serve and asked interested members to contact the chair. The policy will return for fuller consideration through the policy committee process.

What’s next: Policy 2230 was removed from the consent agenda for discussion and possible revision; the board asked staff to bring clearer documentation about which edits are routine and to consult the policy committee and legal counsel before returning the item to a future agenda.