The players: Cherokee school board

Background on the characters in the long-running political feud in Cherokee County schools:

• Frank Petruzielo: Superintendent hired from much larger Broward County, Fla. in 1998 after the schools in Cherokee County were placed on probation. Probation was lifted the following year. Supporters, who call him "Dr. P.," say he's a smart leader who shepherded the district through a period of major growth. Critics say he has an imperious style and can be dismissive. In Florida, the year before he left, the local Republican party called for his ouster and he narrowly survived a school board vote of confidence.
• Kelly Marlow: School board member elected last year, after winning the Republican primary by a couple dozen votes. On her campaign financial statement, she listed her occupation as "parent." She sends her children to a charter school.
• Barbara Knowles: Secretary of the Cherokee County Republican Party.
• Robert Trim: Longtime Cherokee County political consultant who managed Marlow's campaign for school board. In 2002, Trim was charged with campaign violations in connection with a state House race. The charges were dropped after he and an associate agreed to produce a pamphlet telling politicians how to produce legal campaign literature. He also campaigned for Sen. Chip Rogers, acting as his spokesman until he resigned last year as House majority leader to take a job with Georgia Public Broadcasting.