Elkin City Schools board outlines public process to fill seat after Dr. Breininger will not take office

The Elkin City Schools board discussed how it will fill a board seat that Dr. Breininger has indicated he will not take, and agreed to interview candidates and return with a recommendation to the Surry County party.

At the open portion of the meeting a write‑in candidate, Ted Silly, told the board he opposed appointments based on party loyalty and said he would not accept a nomination. "I am also utterly opposed to a resurgent trend in American government where elected office, the will of the people, is maneuvered into political appointees," Silly said, adding that he ran as a write‑in after community members encouraged him to serve. "I will not pass a litmus test of the Surry County GOP." The board had introduced him earlier as a public commenter who sought the seat.

Chair (speaker 1) said the board had received notice that Dr. Breininger would not take the seat and that the board could not fill the vacancy at that meeting. The chair listed four people who had expressed interest — Lee Masten, Nicole Manigault, Susan Baker and Ted Stille — and asked members to meet with candidates before a later meeting so the group could reach a consensus recommendation.

Legal counsel Ally told the board the appointment process follows the same pattern used previously: the board makes a recommendation to the party, which then returns names to the board within a statutory window. "They're required to by statute," Ally said, stressing that as a public body the board must conduct deliberations about potential appointees in open session. She said one‑on‑one meetings between individual board members and candidates are permissible for fact‑gathering, and that groups of two board members may meet with candidates without creating an illegal majority meeting.

One board member said they had not received official written notice about Dr. Breininger’s status and remained uncertain of the timing. Ally clarified her understanding that the current term would end at the December changeover and that the vacancy would be filled after the party process and any required procedures were complete.

The board agreed to try to meet with candidates over the next week so it could return with a recommendation prior to the Dec. 9 regular meeting. The chair noted the candidate who fills the position must reside within Elkin city limits.

The meeting closed with brief announcements — including updated school‑calendar information and an upcoming football playoff — and a motion to adjourn. The motion to adjourn was moved by Mister Blackburn, seconded by Mister Wagner, and carried by voice vote.

Votes at a glance

• Motion to approve meeting agenda — moved by Miss Scalia; seconded by Mister Wagner; outcome: approved by voice vote.

• Motion to adjourn — moved by Mister Blackburn; seconded by Mister Wagner; outcome: approved by voice vote.

What this means

Board members and counsel emphasized the legal obligation to conduct deliberations about potential appointees in public, and they agreed to meet with candidates in small groups before returning with a recommendation. Public commenters urged that appointments not be driven by partisan loyalty and, in at least one case, said they would decline a nomination on that basis. The board left the formal recommendation step to a future meeting after candidate interviews.