Norfolk council appoints school board

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Norfolk city council said goodbye to some familiar faces Tuesday afternoon. Councilmen Don Williams and Randy Wright and Councilwoman Daun Hester were each recognized for their service to the city.

One of their final duties was to appoint four members to the Norfolk school board. For months, WAVY.com has investigated testing irregularities in the city's public schools.

Council members voted 7 to 1 Tuesday, with Hester dissenting, to reappoint board Chairman Stephen W. Tonelson for one year to fill the unexpired term of board member George W. “Billy” Cook Jr., who is stepping down. The council also reappointed Dr. Linda B. McCluney for a full term.

New faces include Dr. Linda Horsey, a human services degree program adviser for Old Dominion University, and Suzan M. Kaufman, vice president of organizational development for Dollar Tree.

The council did not re-appointed Ursula Rhodes, who serves as vice chairwoman.

Mayor Paul Fraim said the stability was needed.

"If you go back and look at the three members who we did not discuss today, two of them had one year on the school board," said Fraim.

Since board troubles surfaced, residents have come forward saying board members should be elected, not appointed. Mayor Fraim says he hopes interest will grow to make such a move.

"When you have an elected school board...they don't have taxing authority--in other words responsibility--for raising money they are spending, I think it makes more sense to have elected school boards."