District 2 Parent Raises Concerns Following Chaotic School Board Meeting

A recent Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education meeting ended in disorder after a dispute over the seating of District 2 representative Matthew Youngblood, raising new questions about governance,

representation, and public trust.

Mr. Youngblood had taken the oath of office the previous day before a notary and appeared at the meeting prepared to assume the District 2 seat. Acting Chair Doug Knight declined to recognize him as a board member, citing House Bill 1035 and his belief that the Clerk of Superior Court now has the authority to fill the vacancy.

During discussion of the issue, Board Member Anita Kurn attempted to read portions of board policy aloud. Chairman Knight interrupted her multiple times, ruled her out of order, and directed that she be removed from the meeting by two uniformed Troutman police officers.

Let that sink in for a moment. A sitting school board member was removed from a public school board

meeting while attempting to read board policy during discussion of one of the most consequential issues

facing the district. Other board members attempted to speak regarding the matter but were not recognized before Chairman Knight indicated that the issue would be addressed when "it was finished." At that point, Board Members Brian Sloan and Mike Kubiniec declared themselves absent and left the meeting, resulting in the loss of a quorum.

Despite the loss of a quorum, there appeared to be confusion about whether the meeting could continue. As Chairman Knight attempted to proceed, the board attorney, attending virtually, advised that the meeting needed to be adjourned.

Before the meeting ended, Chairman Knight suggested that some individuals involved in the dispute care more about politics than education.

As a District 2 parent, I strongly disagree with that characterization.

I have been present through much of this ongoing controversy. I attended the meetings when the board still had seven members. I witnessed the events that led to a resignation. I have read the statutes and the

policies governing this process. I even submitted my own résumé for consideration for the District 2

vacancy and was not selected. And that is okay. The reality is that Matthew Youngblood was selected by the party to fill the vacancy. Whether someone personally likes him, dislikes him, agrees with him, or disagrees with him is irrelevant. The process exists for a reason, and in my view, the people of District 2 deserve to have that process respected and their representation restored.

What concerns me most is hearing claims that others are making this about politics instead of education.

From where I sit, the continued dispute over seating the District 2 representative has become a struggle

over process, authority, and control that has left students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers wondering

what happened to common sense and good governance.

This is bigger than any individual board member or any political party. It is about whether rules matter

when they become inconvenient. It is about whether representation matters. It is about whether the people entrusted with governing our schools are willing to govern themselves according to the same standards and procedures they expect everyone else to follow.

I never imagined I would witness this level of dysfunction in local government firsthand, yet here we are.

Reasonable people may reach different conclusions about the legal questions involved, and those questions may ultimately need to be resolved elsewhere. But everyone should be concerned by the level of dysfunction that has become increasingly visible in our local government and by the fact that District 2 residents remain without representation.

I encourage the public to watch the meeting for themselves, review the facts, and draw their own

conclusions. At the end of the day, regardless of which side anyone supports, our community deserves better. Most importantly, our students deserve better.

And perhaps now more than ever, our school board needs wisdom, humility, courage, and a renewed

commitment to serving the people rather than protecting positions or power.

By Alison Palmeter