Saine Resigns After One Day
Citing a conflict with his job as a political activist, Jason Saine resigned from the Lincoln County school board Thursday – the day after his controversial appointment.
Saine, 27, said he made his decision before discovering he couldn’t have stayed on the board because he lives about 200 feet outside the Howard’s Creek township – the district he was appointed to represent.
His residency aside, Saine said he made his decision because of his job.
Saine is a grassroots manager for Citizens For A Sound Economy, a conservative group that’s active on education issues and supports vouchers.
“We have a policy where we don’t want to conflict with work we do on issues,” Saine said.
Saine’s resignation means the school board must decide who will replace Ron Spake, who stepped down after moving from Lincoln County.
On Wednesday, board members Jean Dellinger and Virginia Dellinger voted against Saine’s appointment because they didn’t have prior notice it would be discussed. The Dellingers are not related.
They also questioned whether outgoing school board members Joe Miller, Robin Brown and Betty Lawing – defeated in Tuesday’s election – should be joining in the appointment.
Nevertheless, Lawing, the board’s chairman, said she’ll call a special meeting later this month to fill the empty seat.
Saine said he suggested the board consider Alex Patton, a Howard’s Creek resident who ran unsuccessfully for the school board two years ago.
Lawing said Patton already was on her short list of possible candidates, and they are looking at others. The chairman defended her decision to fill the post before new members take office.
“We have been there a while,” she said. “We know the issues. We know the people of Lincoln County. We know who is active and who cares.”
Lawing said Saine, an active Republican and son of county commissioner Beth Saine, would have made a good board member despite his previous criticism of some board decisions.
One was the board’s decision not to support the creation of the Lincoln Charter School.
Tommy Houser, who defeated Miller, said he’s happy Saine won’t be serving. He said he wanted the board to wait until he and the other newcomers take office next month.
“If not, they should give consideration to the best possible person they should get,” said Houser, a former dairy farmer and convenience store owner. “They should notify everyone. It caught everybody off guard” Wednesday.
Tony Jenkins, who on Tuesday won the seat Virginia Dellinger is vacating, also criticized Wednesday’s vote and Lawing’s decision to call another special meeting.
“It was a bombshell dropped on us,” Jenkins said. “I feel like the people of Howard’s Creek township have been denied the opportunity to have someone to serve them. The people of the county put the school board in, and the people have the right to voice their votes by voting.”
School board members are elected by voters. When a mid-term vacancy comes up, the sitting board can fill the opening with a majority vote.
The controversy reflected a rare rift among Lincoln board members, who typically have spoken with one voice on issues.
It also prompted the even rarer public criticism of the board by superintendent Martin Eaddy, who will retire next year.
Eaddy on Thursday acknowledged the outgoing board members’ right to replace Spake, but questioned why they didn’t notify the public of their plans.
“They are certainly empowered to legally move forward,” Eaddy said. “The question is, is this what the city they represent would want them to do? It may not be what the citizens want.”
