BY ANDY TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

CHERRYVALE — The president and vice president of the USD 447 Board of Education will serve in the positions for the 2008-09 year without the full support of the board.

At Monday’s monthly meeting of the school board, board president Lance Carter was re-elected to his position as board chief on a 4-3 vote. Board member Sharon Wadman was chosen to serve as vice president on a same vote.

Board members Lance Carter, Sharon Wadman, Cody Smith and Gina Booe voted in favor of both measures while board members Tina Cunningham, Michelle Loganbill and Bruce Thornton voted against the measures.

The board typically selects the board president and vice president on unanimous votes (although only a majority vote is needed). Board members, including the three dissenters, did not say anything regarding their votes.

Prior to Monday’s school board meeting, the Montgomery County Chronicle received a copy of an e-mail sent to all board members from board president Lance Carter.  In the e-mail, Carter openly asks the board to reappoint him to the position of president and to name Wadman as vice president.

The Montgomery County Chronicle checked into the legality of a governmental official to use e-mail to solicit votes prior to that vote being made public.

A story in the July 17th edition of the Montgomery County Chronicle details the Chronicle’s search into the legality of the e-mail and what governmental trade groups say is permissible.  The story appears on page A1.

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