I am writing to challenge the idea that the decision to consolidate three high schools was made without the citizens of Cherokee County having a voice in the process.
Consolidation has been discussed in this county for decades, and long-range plans have been developed but never acted upon. Since at least 2017, the board of education and board of commissioners have been discussing the topic extensively at regular board meetings, town halls and public hearings. And public input is a legal requirement of every public meeting.
The United States is a republic and not a direct democracy, meaning the voice of the citizens is heard through the election of public officials. As a result, the possibility of a nationwide referendum does not exist.
North Carolina, like many other states, accurately reflects the federal government and does not allow for referendums. Yes, referendums can appear on the ballot in through the process of a local act. The irony of that process is that it requires a decision to do so on the part of elected officials, in this case state representatives and senators.
Consolidation did indeed pass by slim margins, but it passed not one but two different boards. Here is a point of clarification – the board of education simply passed a long-range plan that included consolidation of the high schools. The county commissioners simply voted to fund the high school consolidation portion of that plan.
Without the approval of county funds, the long-range plan is simply an idea on a piece of paper. Without a long-range plan, county funding of our schools is inefficient, haphazard and insufficient – which is exactly what we have been doing for quite some time without a direction that a long-range plan brings us.
Given this, in my opinion the resolution to put consolidation on the ballot should have been specific to the funding, which was a decision made by county commissioners. By instead proposing to put the general idea of consolidation on the ballot, the action sought to undo the decision of another board.
Another point of clarification – the school board vote was not 4-3. While it is true that if held today the vote would likely be 4-3, it was 4-2 then. Tim West was legally eligible to vote on the plan and was very pro-consolidation, which would have likely resulted in a 5-2 vote. However, since he had recently moved out of the state, he chose to resign and not participate in the vote.
Consolidation is a huge decision that no one takes lightly. Leaders are elected to make tough decisions. Every official that has voted on consolidation, for or against, has made a tough decision.
By Jeff Tatham, a resident of Andrews and member of the Cherokee County Board of Education.