Franklin City Council moves into closed session to interview prospective school board candidates

The Franklin City Council voted to enter a closed session to interview prospective candidates for appointment to the Franklin School Board and later certified that the meeting complied with Virginia’s closed‑meeting rules.

A staff member read the reason for the closed session on the record, stating it was called “for the purpose of discussion and consideration on interviews with prospective candidates for appointments to the city of Franklin school board.” The council then approved a motion and moved into the closed session, the chair announced.

After the closed session, a council member moved that the council reconvene in open meeting. The council then completed a required certification: one council member read a standard statement that only matters exempted from open‑meeting requirements were discussed, and each member present verbally stated “I certify.”

The chair announced the timeline for the appointment process: interviews with candidates will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m.; the council will advertise a public hearing for Monday the 8th and plans to hold the appointment vote that night. A council member added that the search committee may use search firms and will review candidate applications as part of the recruitment and advertising process.

The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn.

What this does not say: the council did not disclose candidate names or debate specific candidates during the public record; the transcript records only procedural motions, the statutory basis for the closed session, the certification on reconvening, and schedule details for interviews and the public hearing.