Germantown residents want say in school board pick
The Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen hopes to appoint a new school board member during its Sept. 24 meeting.
But some residents want to have a say in picking Suzanne Jones’ successor on the board. Jones’ resignation was accepted at Germantown Municipal School District Board of Education’s Aug. 20 meeting.
“Suzanne won by a large majority (nearly 65 percent), and we feel we should have a say,” said Brad Reardon, a father of three girls in GMSD schools.
Jones’ successor will serve until 2020.
When Germantown Municipal School District was formed, an ordinance stated the Board of Mayor and Aldermen would fill any vacancies. The ordinance also states school board races will only be voted on during general elections.
With the upcoming Nov. 6 elections, some residents are questioning why this race won’t be on that ballot.
Jones resigned because her family was moving due to a job opportunity for her husband. Jones said when her husband accepted the job she asked what the Tennessee School Board Association protocol was for resigning, and she followed their recommendations.
Jones sent an email to school board chairwoman Betsy Landers on May 31, saying she would be moving over the summer due to her husband’s job in Pennsylvania, and as TSBA recommended, she would follow up with an official resignation letter when she had a date.
“The move is very bittersweet,” Jones said in the email.
Landers attempted to schedule a meeting in July. Vijaya Subramani, executive assistant to the superintendent, sent an email to board members and Superintendent Jason Manuel that said
there would be a tentative meeting July 16. Board members Amy Eoff and Jones both said they would be out of town, and Jones said the board did not try to schedule another meeting time.
“They should have pushed harder,” Reardon said. “The aldermen and mayor and school board should have been more involved.”
Mo Fisher, a retired educator, has lived in Germantown for 34 years. He said he has taken interest in Germantown school board’s decisions lately as he has three grandchildren who will attend the new Forest Hill Elementary.
“I would you think you would schedule a secondary date,” Fisher said. “If the chairman knew in May, let’s find the first day available.”
Jones sent an email on July 12 to Landers and copied the other board members. That email had her formal resignation letter attached. Jones said she did not hear they had received the letter until she heard they accepted it at the Aug. 20 meeting.
“Immediately following that meeting, the city was notified, and according to the city ordinance, Article 9: vacancies occurring on the municipal school board for the City of Germantown shall be filled by the board of mayor and aldermen by appointment of a person who would be eligible to serve as a member of the municipal school board, with such member to serve until a successor is elected at the next general election for which candidates have sufficient time to qualify if under applicable law,” Landers said in a statement.
Although the Board of Mayor and Aldermen makes the decision, it could not move forward by declaring the vacancy and notifying the election commission until the board of education accepted the resignation at the Aug. 20 meeting, according to City Administrator Patrick Lawton.
“They (Board of Mayor and Aldermen) acted as quickly as possible,” Lawton said. “Putting a position on the ballot is done by the election commission.”
Lawton said the city has sent a letter from the mayor to the election commission, but the election commission has not notified the city if the position will be on the next general election ballot. However, the filing deadline for the Nov. 6 election was Aug. 16.
“Decisions by the aldermen and Board of Mayor and Aldermen, it’s almost like there’s going to be this certain group that votes together,” Fisher said.
Reardon said as the district is still new, he would be in favor of the ordinances being amended to say that residents should vote if a board member has two years left in his or her term.
“Citizen control is best,” he said.