LUMBERTON — The Board of Education for the Public Schools of Robeson County on Tuesday will get a new board member as well as new leadership.
Linda Emanuel, a former administrator at the system’s central office, will be sworn into the District 3 seat by District Court Judge Herbert Richardson. Emanuel defeated Peggy Wilkins Chavis in the May 8 primary, which served as the general election for the school board because it is nonpartisan.
Mike Smith, who has represented District 6 since 1980, Dwayne Smith, the District 8 representative since 2010, and Brenda Fairley-Ferebee, the District 2 representative who begins her sixth term, also will take the oath for another four years in office. All won re-election on May 8, an election that had 14 candidates for four seats.
Although Wilkins Chavis is the current chairman and leaving the board, the election on Tuesday for a new chairman is not related to her departure. The board traditionally elects a new chairman and vice chairman at its first meeting in July.
Brian Freeman is the current vice chairman.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Lumberton City Hall, which is where the board continues to meet following the loss of its central office to Hurricane Matthew. The Robesonian will provide live stream video coverage through Facebook.
The board on Tuesday will also hear presentations from Alfred Bryant on the LAB School, from Karen Floyd on a effort to update system-wide polices and from Chad Cronin of Sfl+a, an architectural firm, on efforts to build a new school. Finance Officer Erica Setzer will also provide a report.
The board is also expected to approve an agreement with the Innovative School District for the operation of Southside Ashpole Elementary School. That was to have been done in a special meeting at the end of June but the board lacked a quorum to take action.
The board plans a closed session during which student transfers, personnel and legal matters can be discussed.
