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Bipartisan local parties publicly censure Cherokee County board over charter denial
Summary
Representatives of the county Republican and Democratic parties delivered matching censure resolutions accusing the board of prioritizing politics over students after a unanimous April denial of a charter‑school application; the board did not take formal action in response during the meeting.
Two public commenters representing local party organizations presented nearly identical censure resolutions to the board during the public‑comment period.
Julia Black, identified in the meeting packet as the person called to speak, read a resolution presented by the Cherokee County Republican Party that said the board "failed to place children first" and criticized a unanimous April 20, 2026 board vote to deny a charter‑school application. The resolution named trustees by surname and called for greater transparency and accountability. "Whereas on 04/20/2026, the board of trustees voted unanimously by an 8 0 vote to deny [a] charter school application," the commenter read, and said many citizens view that action as a failure to listen to community will.
Washina Fowler White, introduced as representing the Cherokee County Democratic Party, followed and said the Democratic Party issued the "exact same censure on the exact same day," framing the document as a formal public reprimand designed to encourage greater accountability. "This censure is a public reprimand that expresses strong disapproval of the actions and the decisions of you, the elected official," she told the trustees.
Board members thanked both speakers for their remarks but did not take any public action in response during the meeting. The censure resolutions were entered into the public record by the commenters; the transcript does not show a formal board response beyond acknowledgments and a move to the next agenda item.
