Jockeying begins for School Board spot

Terry Webster

Thursday, Dec. 20, 2001 | 10:09 a.m.

Political posturing for the Clark County School Board presidency is in full swing.

A flurry of community leaders and politicians Wednesday spoke in favor of electing board member Shirley Barber to the post.

As the endorsements came in, other board members remained quiet on the subject, which is set to come up for a vote in January.

"You have to make sure you have a balance," said Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, who is a school teacher. "You've never had an African American board president."

Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, said none of the six black School Board members who have served over the past two decades have been board president.

The trend, he said, fails to set a good example for staff and students.

Barber spoke out one year ago after being passed over for the board presidency, which went to Mary Beth Scow. She placed on the agenda discussions of "board relationships and communication" and a proposal to change bylaws for electing board members.

She accused other board members -- although she did not name names -- of going behind her back and having discussions with administrators on moving her office and student center on Owens Avenue in West Las Vegas. The center offers help to students struggling in school, officials said.

Officials said the district is awaiting an opinion from the state attorney general's office on the legality of the proposed change to the procedure for electing board officers.

The proposal would give preference to trustees who have never served as board president or vice president and to trustees with longer terms of service.