It's becoming a trend on the school board as two of three board members who are up for reappointment won't be seeking another term.
"It is not in my best interest to continue," says School Board Member Dr. Bill Igbani, and that sentiment is shared by Board Member Byron Brown as well.
For Dr. Igbani, it's an issue of not having enough time and really wanting others in the community to step up to the plate.
For Brown, it's more about getting rid of unnecessary stress and frustration. "I've been insulted, my family has been insulted. We've lost family and friends because of decisions I've made, decision that I felt were right. My judgment has been questioned, and I just refuse to put my family through this anymore," he explains.
Brown says this year has been especially challenging for the school board, and it often seemed no matter how hard they worked, it was a lose-lose situation. "This past year has just been really frustrating for me. It seemed no matter what I tried to do, or what we tried to do as a school board for the benefit of the children, it was just never right. We were always wrong in somebody's eyes," he says.
With less than two months left of their term, Brown and Igbani are now offering words of wisdom to future board members: "It's going to require a lot of time," says Brown. "You really need a flexible job, or no job, and you need to develop a thick skin."
Dr. Igbani agrees and adds that whoever would like to be considered needs to do two things: "Have interest in the kids and interest in education, that's all."
Despite the turnover of the Board, both the Chair and Vice Chair insist that their goals for next year will be met.
