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Residents urge transparency after public commenters accuse board of 'backroom' appointment plans
Summary
Public commenters at the Norfolk Public Schools meeting pressed the board for a transparent appointment process and warned against perceived political maneuvering; commenters said a lack of transparency risks losing the superintendent.
During the board meeting Wednesday, multiple members of the public used the citizen‑comment period to demand a transparent process for appointing any replacement should a board vacancy occur and to criticize perceived board conduct.
Liz Albert told the board she had "been advised by sources" of a potential plan to reappoint an existing member to a vacant seat and said: "This school board needs a new voice, not more of the same backroom political shenanigans and petty vindictiveness." She warned that continued conflict could prompt the superintendent to leave and urged the board to adopt a public process for candidate input.
Charlotte Smith Worley made similar points, urging the board to "have an injection of integrity" and to adopt transparent appointment practices used by neighboring jurisdictions. Several speakers linked transparency and civility to the district's ability to retain and support administrative leadership.
The board did not respond to the public comments during the comment period. The concerns surfaced alongside other speakers who raised operational and instructional topics during the same public‑comment block.
