Updated 10 p.m.
GREENSBORO — The newest member of the Guilford County Board of Education stepped down Thursday after learning he does not live in the district he was appointed to represent.
Chris Gillespie was sworn in Dec. 18 to fill the unexpired term of Carlvena Foster, who was elected in November to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners. About 18 months remain on that term.
The board will start the process of finding a new appointee for the District 1 seat. Officials also are reviewing board votes from the past three months in case the outcomes would change without Gillespie’s vote.
Gillespie, executive director of West End Ministries of High Point, called the situation an “innocent mistake.”
His home is in the attendance zone for Andrews High, one of the schools the District 1 board member represents. In a letter to board Chairman Alan Duncan, Gillespie said he mistakenly assumed he lived in District 1 as well.
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“I also had checked a map and thought my address was within the District 1 boundaries,” Gillespie said in his resignation letter before apologizing.
The school board will discuss at its next meeting how to proceed with appointing a new District 1 representative, Duncan said. The board’s next regular meeting is April 14. The board will also discuss independently verifying that candidates reside in the district.
The Guilford County Board of Elections verifies a candidate’s address before an election. But when there is an unexpired term, the school board votes on an appointment. Before Gillespie, the last time that happened was almost 15 years ago when Duncan was appointed.
“Getting a new District 1 representative on our board is an extremely high priority,” Duncan said.
Six candidates vied for the District 1 seat when it opened last year, and Gillespie emerged as a clear favorite.
The board will invite those candidates to apply again, Duncan said. It also will accept nominations from others.
Officials also are reviewing board actions to see whether there were any split votes in which Gillespie may have been on the prevailing side. They have not yet found any, Duncan said.
Officials also are doing a similar review of the board’s confidential actions, such as those involving students or employees.
Gillespie told the News & Record he got an anonymous call late Wednesday from someone saying he lives in District 2, not District 1. Although he felt certain that was not the case, he said, the caller was adamant.
“The first thing this morning, I decided to verify that,” Gillespie said Thursday. The caller was correct. Gillespie said he immediately called Duncan. Duncan announced Gillespie’s resignation at an afternoon news conference.
“As a board, we will miss Chris,” Duncan said.
Duncan praised Gillespie, saying he was active in the community and visited schools during his brief tenure.
Gillespie said he looks forward to continuing his relationship with the school system.
The situation is “very unfortunate,” Gillespie said. “I deeply regret that I won’t be able to serve because I was so looking forward to it.”
Chris Gillespie, the newest member of the Guilford County Board of Education, is stepping down because he does not live in the district he was appointed to represent.
Board Chairman Alan Duncan announced the issue this afternoon during a news conference.
School board members appointed Gillespie to fill the unexpired term of Carlvena Foster, who was elected in November to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.
Gillespie, executive director of West End Ministries of High Point, was sworn in on Dec. 18 before the school board's regular meeting.
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