Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board Faces Election Amidst Financial Turmoil
Amid a turbulent financial crisis, six of the nine members of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education are seeking re-election. The district is grappling with the fallout from a $46 million deficit that came to light last year due to years of overspending and accounting missteps.
The financial debacle led to the swift departure of the former superintendent and chief financial officer, leaving the school board members to face the brunt of public criticism. Some voices in the community have even called for the entire board to resign.
Despite such calls, most board members are keen on retaining their seats. During recent forums, incumbents have been pressed to justify their continued tenure on the board.
Democrat Richard Watts, who is vying for an at-large seat, acknowledged his previous oversight and pledged to adopt a more scrutinizing approach. “My job, going forward, is to be more critical, more inquisitive and less trusting as we move forward in this financial situation,” Watts stated.
On the other hand, Republican Robert Barr from District 2 highlighted his proactive stance in questioning leadership decisions. He remarked, “I said the difficult things. I called for the superintendent’s termination. I expressed the same thing for our CFO and talked about the mismanagement.”
Joining Barr, Republican Susan Miller, also contesting in District 2, had previously demanded resignations and recently emphasized the necessity of vetting the entire leadership team.
Incumbent Republican Steve Wood contended that the current board should not be solely blamed for the fiscal issues, pointing out that financial problems date back to 2017, as noted by the state auditor.
Democratic candidates such as Trevonia Brown-Gaither and Alex Bohannon in District 1 argued for maintaining some continuity. Bohannon stated, “We are navigating real challenges with staffing, school safety concerns and hard decisions financially. This isn’t a moment for a steep learning curve.”
Voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballots early through February 28, with Election Day set for March 3.
