Board grows heated over virtual meetings
Apr. 14—GUILFORD COUNTY — The frustrations simmered over Tuesday night for some Guilford County Board of Education members after a year's worth of remote, virtual meetings through digital technology.
The school board's nine members have met remotely since March 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic took hold locally and compelled government bodies to change how they take up public policies. During their latest meeting, tensions reverberated across the audio and video digital platform when member Anita Sharpe expressed frustrations about other board members trying to "correct" her inappropriately.
Sharpe pointedly asked for her other board members to refrain from contacting her through texts and chats with links she found irritating and insulting. The discussion came up during the board's consideration of a five-page board member technology use policy.
The policy states that "board members should not use personal social media to harass, bully, or intimidate students, employees or other board members."
Other board members responded to Sharpe, saying they weren't trying to demean her but wanted to provide information digitally during meetings that could be informative in making decisions.
Board member T. Dianne Bellamy Small raised another concern about virtual meetings — consideration of public comment and direct access to the board by constituents.
Since the onset of the pandemic and the shift to remote meetings, public comment has been limited to emails to the board. Small asked Guilford County Schools district leadership if there was a way to get more direct access for the public to comment during remote meetings.
GCS Chief of Staff Nora Carr responded that email comments from the public are the only feasible option, given the technology available to the district now. Small said she hears from constituents who worry that their input isn't being taken into account.
Board members also debated how the school district should craft its public records policy to make clear the distinction between what is and isn't a public record.
In another matter, the board received another clean audit from its outside, independent auditor Dixon Hughes Goodman. The clean audit for the 2019-20 school year means Guilford County Schools prepared financial statements on a consistent basis with generally accepted accounting principles and the fiscal statements fairly present the district's financial position, cash flows and results of operations.
The audit covers part of federal and state money provided for pandemic relief, since the 2019-20 fiscal year ended on June 30, 2020.
The latest GCS financial report has been submitted to the Association of School Business Officials International and the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for consideration of certificates of excellence in financial reporting. The district has earned the financial reporting awards from the groups for 26 consecutive fiscal years.
"We have something to celebrate for operating in such a fiscally sound manner for so long," said board member Khem Irby.
pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul