Reps. Bert Jones and Bryan Holloway, both Rockingham County Republicans, have filed legislation that would reduce the size of county’s Board of Education:
House Bill 189 would reduce the number of districts from six to four by 2016 and the number of school board members from 11 to seven by 2018.
Jones and Holloway, both Republicans who represent Rockingham County, said their motivation behind the legislation was to make the school board a more efficient body.On Tuesday, news of the bill shocked some people, pleased others and drew comparisons to similar legislation state Sen. Trudy Wade (R-Guilford) proposed in February to change the makeup of the Greensboro City Council.
“It had not even entered my mind as a possibility,” said school board member Bob Wyatt, who represents District 6. “I had heard no rumors about this, but I’m not surprised.”….Holloway (R-Rockingham) said Tuesday that 11 members is simply too many. “This bill condenses it down,” he said, “and makes it a little easier to manage.”
School board member Josh Austin, who represents District 2, agreed.
“I think it would be much easier to work on a board with less members because with 11, you have so many different ideas,” Austin said. “But with seven, you still have a representation of ideas there but it’s less people to disagree.”
So far, nowhere near the opposition Wade’s bill has faced.
