The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
School Board members haven't heard anything formal from Sandra Smith-Jones regarding whether she plans to serve on the board while working in Saudi Arabia, but her communications with school staff give the impression she intends to keep her seat, board members said.
The board discussed the matter in a closed session Wednesday night and took no formal action. Some board members said after the meeting they aren't sure whether they should begin an appointment process to replace Smith-Jones or whether they should divide her responsibilities among remaining members.
"We can't really do anything at this point," Board Chairman Dan Edwards said, who said he spoke with her Tuesday, "but she didn't offer any clarity regarding her intentions."
Smith-Jones gave some indirect insight earlier this week, Vice Chairman Bill Brunke said. He said she contacted school staff and asked to teleconference into an audit committee meeting scheduled for next week.
Smith-Jones would be unable to formally participate in the committee meeting, Brunke said, because state law requires elected officials to have a physical presence at public meetings.
"In any case, that implies to me she's intending to stay on the board," said Brunke.
Smith-Jones announced plans to resign from the board last month after accepting a job with a Saudi Arabia-based education company, but then withdrew the resignation last week, a day before flying to the Middle East.
She seemed to waver on that decision Friday in an email to The Virginian-Pilot but didn't definitely state plans to resign. She signed the email, "This is my final Farewell." She did not return messages seeking clarification.
Board member Carolyn Weems said she hopes Smith-Jones "makes a final, final decision soon."
"Unfortunately we're just kind of stuck," Weems said.
For now, Edwards said, the board is proceeding as if Smith-Jones is keeping her seat. He offered a public explanation for her absence at the start of the board meeting Wednesday.
"She is out of the area on business," he told the audience.
Mike Hixenbaugh, (757) 222-5117, mike.hixenbaugh@pilotonline.com
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Petition
Removing Ms. Jones from office by petition to the court will be more of a challenge than normal. According to VA code § 24.2-233 the petition to the court for removal requires ten percent of the total number of votes cast at the last election for the office that the officer holds. During a normal election turn out is low, but Ms. Jones was elected in 2008 (the same ballot as the Presidential election. 201,940 votes were cast, a 70.08% turn out. A ballot to the court would require signatures from 20,194 eligible registered voters. To contrast the 2010 school board election had a 42% turnout.
She took a job OUT of
She took a job OUT of COUNTRY.
She will not attend meetings.
She is a ghost taking a seat that with determine what is done in the schools that teach our children.
She has evaded questions.
She has not clarified her stance on her absence.
FIRE HER NOW
Typical of these days
She simply doesn't want to give up her paycheck from the school board. She can't even remotely help the school system while away, but would rather keep the money rather than let someone else have the position that could help the schools. Typical greed, nothing else.
If she were serving in the
If she were serving in the military, this wouldn't be an issue. We would all hold her seat and wait for her to return from a deployment...
This is all about the desire to fill her seat with another board member. Back door politics...I think she outsmarted the rest of the board! LOL
SNIFF TEST HERE
VP: "she plans to serve on the board while working in Saudi Arabia". Something not right about this. Anyone who has been to Saudi Arabia knows that dogs are higher on the food-chain than women are? I'd like to know where she is working there as not to get the dog treatment where a Saudi male would listen or even work with or for her. Somthing doesn't smell right on this situation...
someone explain
How does one take back a letter resigning...and what obligation does the school board have to let somone "take back" that letter?
who knows
I'm not understanding that either but here's what Brunke said in the story on the 3rd:
"We didn't have the right to accept or reject her resignation, nor did we have any right to accept or reject her rescinded resignation," Vice Chairman Bill Brunke said. "We didn't put her on the board. Voters did."
It seems to me that Smith-Jones knows exactly what she's doing. She's putting the board in a really bad position (they seem to have no legal control over) while sticking her nose up at the very people who voted her onto that board. It's not just unprofessional. It's unethical.
LUDICROUS
So, essentially what this woman is doing is holding the board position hostage. Absolutely shameful. Whatever her intentions are (and they're obviously not honorable at this point), Smith-Jones is a detriment to the school board and her community. She is doing a disservice to the students and their families as an absentee representative (oxymoron, anyone?). She either needs to officially resign or there needs to be a petition to recall this selfish, no-good pseudo-politician.
Recall Election
Amen "mm12175" to the recall election idea!!! We need to start a petition to get rid of Sandra Smith-Jones. If she's not willing to live in VB, then I'm not willing to have her on the VB School Board.
Do you recall...
the TV show F-Troop? Welcome to the School Board.