Four Clayton school board members face voters
Four Clayton County school board members are defending their seats. Eight challengers are on the ballot. It’s an all-Democratic field of candidates to fill out the policymaking board of the 50,000-student district.
At stake: Questions have been raised about how the Clayton board is conducting itself, a chief concern in the county after the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) yanked Clayton's accreditation in 2008.
The loss of accreditation can be devastating to a school system and community. Many schools and scholarship programs will not accept a diploma from an unaccredited school. Clayton’s past accreditation loss touched off an exodus of students and affected economic investment, jobs and property values. It also cost the district $20 million in state funding, so predictably new accreditation worries are a central issue in the races for school board.
But Clayton has other leadership challenges. The next board will also elect the district’s next superintendent. Edmund Heatley, who was hired as superintendent in 2009, resigned recently. He had been the district’s eighth superintendent since 2000.
A wild card: Clayton voters have shown an impatience with incumbents recently, as voters got rid of two Clayton County council members and the Clayton sheriff during primary elections this summer. SACS troubles have given these races elevated importance and put the Clayton incumbents in an uncomfortable position.
On the ballot:
District 2: Minister Mark Christmas; life coach Jermaine Coleman; incumbent Wanda Smith; and business manager Melody Totten.
District 3: Incumbent Jessie Goree is unopposed.
District 5: Incumbent Ophelia Burroughs, a retired educator; Xavier Ross, a recent Clayton schools employee.
District 6: Incumbent Mary Baker, a teacher; Janice Scott, also a teacher.
District 7: Incumbent Trinia Garrett, a community advocate; church secretary Judy Johnson; and self-employed tax preparer Lois Wright.
Next up: If any candidate fails to get 50 percent of the vote plus one, then a runoff will be held Dec. 4 to determine the winner.
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