It’s a topic that has been ‘kicked’ around for well over two years and it seems as though it has stalled yet again.

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Cherokee County Board of Education, the board was set to vote to enter into an Executive Session for the purpose of discussing school safety. 

A motion and a second was made. However, during the discussion before the final vote, Board Member Corey Colbert had this to say –

If the discussion was to involve student safety, then it would have to be discussed behind closed doors. Colbert’s suggestion was to restrict the discussion to funding in an open meeting; the other board members agreed.

Superintendent of Education Mitchell Guice said that because no one had asked him to be previously prepared to hold a public forum during the meeting and if there was no motion for the original Executive Session for the purpose of discussing School Safety, then the item would be struck from the agenda.

At that time, Colbert made a motion from the table that the board enter into a public forum to discuss numbers with a second coming from Board Member Kathy Mobbs.  

Superintendent Guice said that such a motion was out order because there was no recommendation from the Superintendent. Guice made it clear on numerous occasions during the exchange that he was not prepared to discuss funding of SROs. Each of the board members present, Kathy Mobbs, Corey Colbert, Lisa Chandler and Chairman Brian Jennings, each stated that they were in fact prepared to have the discussion.

Following the lengthy exchange, a vote was taken to enter into the Executive Session and failed due to a lack of a majority with Mrs. Mobbs and Mr. Colbert both voting ‘No’ and Mrs. Chandler and Mr. Jennings both voting ‘Yes’.