Judge Gwendolyn Pernell issued the oath of office to two of the SCCSD board members on Thursday night just prior to the opening gavel for its regular monthly meeting. Members Emma Golden and Edward Thomas were reappointed to serve after no one opposed them in the Nov. 2017 general election.
The board members serve staggered terms and the District 1 and District 2 positions, both from Indianola, were up for election but Circuit Clerk Carolyn Hamilton asked the county supervisors to go ahead and certify the two incumbents along with the District 1 election commissioner’s position and suspend the election since each was running unopposed.
The SCCSD has been one member shy since the passing of former District 4 board member Daisy James Morgan in October.
On Thursday, the remaining members selected Doddsville Mayor Torey Bell Sr. to replace her. He and two others, Evelyn Woods and Tommy Boykins were in consideration to fill out the remainder of Morgan’s term.
Morgan was named to the District 4 position in November 2013 after legal opinions came back saying only a plurality of votes were needed in that Nov. 5 general election.
It was originally thought that Morgan and Bell were going to be in a runoff, but then Circuit Clerk Sharon McFadden received opinions from the Secretary of State’s Office and Attorney General’s Office saying the runoff wasn’t required because of a Justice Department objection to a law that instituted runoffs for school board races.
In the months prior to her death, Morgan had been attending many of the meetings by telephone because of her failing health.
