Schools

Chapman: Public Has Been 'Duped'

House Bill 978, the controversial redistricting bill, was sent to Gov. Nathan Deal late Thursday.

On the last day of the legislative session, a controversial redistricting bill that would change the way voters elect the school board was sent to Gov. Nathan Deal. Earlier this week, Cherokee County Board of Education Chairman Mike  the measure, known as House Bill 978.

Today, he issued this statement in which he renewed his call for a veto.

The Cherokee County Legislative Delegation, through its abandonment of House Bill 1223 and slipping of House Bill 978 onto the Governor’s desk on the last day of the session, has duped the public and ignored their wishes.

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It’s my hope the Governor follows the request I sent to him, as School Board Chairman and on behalf of the School Board, asking that he veto HB 978.

There’s no reason why the Governor could not veto HB 978 and leave the posts and the governance model as is. A 2002 court case over the same issue in Cobb County determined there’s no legal requirement for the Legislature to reapportion when elections are at-large, as they currently are for our School Board. The Delegation’s efforts to redraw the lines to put two incumbents into the same post and to limit how many School Board members voters get to elect are not only obviously political payback, they’re also unnecessary.

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This is not a good bill for the public, and they should hold our legislators responsible. When more people -- not just parents, but everyone in the community -- realizes what has happened, I think the reaction will be strong and unmistakable.

My greatest concern with this entire situation is protecting the future of our system and the families that rely on it. Our schools are clearly under attack, and I must say any good conservative would never condone this type of activity. There are many ways to improve the return on investment in public education.  Clearly, none of our legislators have a business background. We should all be addressing the root cause of the problems in public education… not destroy it and leave Cherokee County’s 38,000-plus kids’ future at risk – it’s unconscionable.


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