Buncombe County school board member resigns; Applicants sought to fill seat

ASHEVILLE - At-large school board member Amanda Simpkins resigned from the Buncombe County Board of Education May 15 during a special called meeting.

“This is due to personal reasons and some changes going on, but we just wanted to publicly let everyone know," Simpkins said.

She was elected in 2020. Her term was up at the end of this year.

Board members thanked Simpkins for her service, and she received several of the speeches tearfully.

"We've got some big shoes to full as a community here," said Rob Elliott, Reynolds District representative.

Erwin District Representative Kim Plemmons warned she might get "emotional," adding she has known Simpkins since the sixth grade.

Simpkins, who now works as a realtor with Coldwell Banker King, was born and raised in Buncombe County and is an Erwin High School graduate. She began her professional career as a high school math teacher at Erwin High in 2007 and taught for 10 years.

“You bring so much to the board. Your experience in teaching, the love you have for sports, the love you have for every single child and every teacher, because you know what it’s like to be a teacher," Plemmons said. "I know family comes first, and it was probably a very hard decision, and you’re going to be missed."

Simpkins told the Citizen Times May 20 that serving on the school board was "one of the greatest honors of my life."

"I’m thankful to be in a county that values education and to work with county commissioners that try and bridge the gap to give our students, faculty and staff what they desperately need and deserve," she said. "My hope was to be able to somehow make a difference in our county. I’ll forever be thankful for the opportunity. I truly appreciate the support of the school board as well as the community as I made this difficult decision."

Following direction from Board Attorney Dean Shatley, the board voted on its process to fill the seat for the remainder of Simpkins' term, which expires Nov. 30.

Applicants can email letters of interest describing education, relevant experience and involvement with public schools to kimberly.matthews@bcsemail.org by the end of day May 22. The board will appoint a candidate to fill the vacancy likely during a May 28 special called meeting.

Buncombe County Schools spokesperson said eight people have submitted letters of interest as of May 20.

The board's next regular meeting is June 6.

There are four seats open for reelection in November, including Simpkins'. Whoever is appointed to fill the seat would only serve through the rest of her term. Filing for Buncombe County school board candidates opens July 19, according to Buncombe County Election Services.

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Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe County school board member resigns, applicants sought