Public decries the County Board of Commissioners’ move to tie schools to politics

Over 100 people attended Monday night’s Pamlico County Board of Commissioners meeting in the county courtroom. Thirteen people spoke against the board’s vote to make elections for the Board of Education partisan, meaning on a Republican or Democratic ticket. Many in attendance said this was brought up and voted on without notifying constituents or being transparent. No one spoke in favor of the passed resolution.

In November, Commissioners Missy Baskervill, Kari Forrest, Candy Bohmert and Doug Brinson voted in favor of the resolution. Commissioners Edward Riggs Jr., Pat Prescott and Carl Ollison voted against it.

The 13 people who spoke were overwhelmingly frustrated they weren’t informed about the vote—including members of the Pamlico Board of Education, who said they were unaware this was happening and were “concerned” about the move.

The board didn’t answer questions or comment on the vote.

As of Tuesday, the bill passed the North Carolina Senate. “I do believe the bill is moving forward in Raleigh and should be law in the near future,” Riggs said.

Here is what residents of Pamlico County said.

Presentation by Douglas Pearsall, Pamlico County NAACP and veteran:

“This issue will go beyond Pamlico County. … This is not right. It was passed through; it was undercut. We did not have a chance to even think about it before it was done. It was done in November; we heard about it in March. … We voted for you. You were put in office to represent all people in the county. The citizens of Pamlico County were not informed. Who on the Board of Commissioners recommended Bill 179? What was wrong with the non-partisan bill? We are the citizens of Pamlico County. We live here. … We need to be heard. We will not let this issue rest. We need you to ask it to come back, and then discuss. This bill was under the table. Nobody knew about it. Blindsided. … We are citizens of Pamlico County; treat us right. Treat us how you would like to be treated. There is no place in the schools that needs to be influenced by a political party. No place. Please, commissioners. Go back to the drawing board. Treat us right; treat us fair.”

Quotes from the public comments:

Anne Hilton:

“I’m here asking you to reconsider the actions taken at the Nov. 21 Board of Commissioners meeting to request that a bill be enacted by the NC general assembly to require that the PC Board of Education be elected on a partisan basis. Non-partisan boards of education work well in this county and have been in place for many, many years. … People have voted for the candidate, not the party. … I urge you to reconsider your previous action and that you support a non-partisan board that responds to the populous and not to a particular political party.”

Vanessa Cole, minister:

“I would ask for you guys to rescind Bill 286. Why are us parents not considered smart enough or intelligent enough to vote for who we want when it comes to our kids without flying agendas and political affiliations? …. Why, in the middle of a heightened political climate, would you want to do this and take away our chance to choose who is the best person. We are a small community, but we know each other. This was done to divide us, but we woke up. Why didn’t you take a minute and consider the parents of the community? (Cole presented a petition of signatures from Republicans, Democrats as well as Independents.) This bill was passed over 30 years ago. This bill gave the community unity and a voice. … There is already enough going on. We see this in the newspapers about how we are No. 1 in drugs but we see nothing about this. The silence speaks the loudest. This was a time to sit down with your constituents and talk about it. And talk to your neighbors, the people who voted you in.”

Michael Schachter:

“I’m from Craven County. The last election was the first time we had a partisan election for the school board. Before then it was non-partisan. I would like to share the outcomes. First, the claim that it would give voters more information is not true. In fact, voters had less information and many voted just for their team and didn’t check the candidates’ background or their views on education. Second point, one-third of the voting electorate was barred from being a candidate. Because unaffiliated voters, like myself, the fastest growing part of the electorate, would have to go through many hoops to get on the ballot. Many good candidates would not be able to run. And lastly, because of the previous issues, some of them voted to the board were there not because of their interest in educating our students but instead because they saw this as a stepping stone to higher office. This is not good for our education system or our political system.”

Lucas Seijo, organizer with Democracy North Carolina:

“At Democracy North Carolina, one of the main goals is to ensure that all levels of government are made of, by and for the people of this great state. I feel this is a sentiment we can all get behind. Instead, here they have created a system that is of politicians by politicians and for politicians, without public consent, with little public knowledge and without the public in mind. Right now, the school systems are becoming a battle ground for the political heart of NC and Pamlico County is no exception. … This change does not make sense. The non-partisan model is working fine. In 2022, PC had graduation rates for minority and historically oppressed communities that was higher or on par with other counties across the state. Also, it has been stated on all levels of government that there was unanimous support for this bill. But there was a 4-3 vote, far from unanimous.”

Bill Hines:

“I read an article in the News and Observer about the Charlotte School Board after they changed their election procedure for the school board to become partisan. A Board of Education member stated that before this happened there was no concern at all about politics. It was only about the quality of education for the children in the county. … The proposal that you put forward that is now SB 286, which includes 30 other counties, this was kind of slid under the table. I propose that tonight you have the opportunity and the citizens, that you debate what you discussed that night and you inform us of what you’re thinking and what caused that proposal … and then you are doing it in front of your county population. Not under the table.”

Diane Lemieux, member of the Progressive Caucus of the NC Democratic Party:

“Most voters vote straight party ticket. … Adding a partisan designation would ensure that the controlling party would win more elections and unaffiliated candidates would never make it onto a ballot. … Keith Kidwell testified at the NC House of Representatives, and I quote, 'This is a very simple and straight forward bill requested by the Pamlico County Board of Commissioners on an unanimous vote. I only heard of absolutely one person who opposed this and called my office today. Other that than all of the people of Pamlico County seem to be happy with it and I ask for your favorable vote and stand for questions.’ Mr. Kidwell deliberately misrepresented Pamlico County in his statements. … Mr. Keith Kidwell appears on the membership roster of the Oathkeepers, a far-right paramilitary organization that played a prominent role in the Jan. 6 assault on our U.S. capitol. And he says that his actions are none of the public’s business. I beg to differ as he is a public servant. … Additionally, partisan elections will open the door to PACs to contribute thousands of dollars to candidates. Ambitious politicians will use their [school board] positions as stepping stones to run for higher office.”

(audio from Kidwell can be found on Town Dock here)

Mel Hudson of Craven County, member of the non-partisan group Advocates for Public Schools in Craven County:

“While listing a candidate’s political party might help in the voting booth, it makes the school board room more complicated. The politicking does not stop when the election is over. We seem to have political name-calling whenever things go against a group’s agenda. Political bullying makes serving and finding future school board candidates difficult. … From a Craven County perspective, having a partisan school board makes the hard work of running a school system more complicated. Students and teachers should be the main focus of the school board not implementing a partisan agenda.”

John McCotter, member of the Pamlico County Board of Education:

(He said his board had not known, or been notified, of the original resolution. Board of Education Chairman John Prescott asked McCotter to attend the meeting as the chairman was in a Board of Education meeting.)

“Mr. Prescott asked me to convey his concerns about this proposal to make Pamlico County Board of Education partisan. We have been a non-partisan board for decades, since its inception. … when the school boards were consolidated. We represent the children of Pamlico County – not in a partisan fashion. And we do not wish to have partisan politics interjected into the school system.”

Vickie Moseley-Jones, education chair for the Pamlico Chapter of the NAACP:

“I was born in Pamlico County and educated in the Pamlico County school system. My husband and I chose to educate our son in the PC school system and I think they have done well. And I think the PC school system is fine just the way it is. It concerns me when we found out about it. … I think it’s unfair that you didn’t at least give us the opportunity to voice our concerns. It’s unfair to make assumptions. … Aren’t our children going through enough?… Now we are going to put politics into it? It’s not fair for the children.”

Carinna Smith, mother of two teenagers educated in the Pamlico County School System:

“Having a partisan school board will shrink the representation of people of color even more than it is now. I’m scared that the issues of the minority students will be missed or unaddressed. If you really want to help the children here, then give them something to do after school. Give them somewhere to work so that we don’t have to go to Craven to find a job. … Why did this come up? What good is it going to do?”

Kathryn Garcia:

“Why has this issue even come up? Why have our representatives voted without input from the voters who care deeply about our children? I was surprised to hear Mr. McCotter come up and say that the Board of Education doesn’t even want this. Did you not talk to them as well? Why are you making changes to something that isn’t broken?”

John Philips, veteran:

“When I read the resolution, the first thing that came to mind is: How did this even get on the agenda? I didn’t see it on any agenda. Who requested it? I don’t want to know the name of one of the commissioners. I want to know the original person who wanted to put it on there. My message to the commissioners is: Introduce a [resolution]. Pass it. Ask our Senator to put a hold on it. I don’t want to hear that it’s never been done. Do it. If you get sued, we’ll figure it out. Stop it. Then if you want to resurrect this, then bring the community in, because we need to be heard. My message to parents is to get involved. My message to students: Get involved in non-partisan groups that are about issues you care about.”

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