By JONAH LOSSIAH
ONE FEATHER STAFF
Vice Chairperson Isaac Long called a special meeting for the Cherokee Central Schools (CCS) Board of Education that was held at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17. Vice Chair Long; Board members Gloria Griffin, Isaac Long, Jennifer Thompson, Tara Reed-Cooper, and Regina Ledford-Rosario; HR Director Heather Driver; Superintendent Dr. Michael Murray; and Tribal Council representative Chelsea Saunooke were present when the meeting was called to order. Board member Karen French-Browning was late. School Board Assistant Sunnie Clapsaddle was in training.
The meeting was called on by Vice Chair Long to decide upon a new chairperson for the next two years. As soon as the everyone was in attendance, Long called for a vote for the election of a new chairperson. The two candidates were Jennifer Thompson and Gloria Griffin. The Board vote was split 3-3, just as it was during the Oct. 7 meeting. Thompson voted for herself with Long and Reed-Cooper. Griffin voted for herself with Ledford-Rosario and French-Browning.
Policy 2200, that was implemented on Sept. 16 of this year, states the following regarding the Tribal Council Representative: “shall have no vote unless the event of a tie. The Tribal Council representative will only vote to break a tie”.
Wolftown Rep. Chelsea Saunooke is the new Tribal Council Representative on the Board of Education, and when the vote was called she raised her hand for Thompson. Before the vote, Superintendent Murray read aloud the policy to ensure that everyone understood why Rep. Saunooke was casting her vote.
Applying the initial voting results from the Oct. 7 meeting, the new structure of the CCS Board of Education is as follows:
- Chairperson – Jennifer Thompson
- Vice Chair – Isaac Long
- Secretary – Tara Reed-Cooper
- Board Members – Gloria Griffin, Karen French-Browning, Regina Ledford-Rosario
