By Kate Griesmann, Staff Writer
CHAPEL HILL — The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools board of education will have two new faces and one familiar one taking seats at the table this term, as a little more than 25,000 votes were cast Tuesday in the school board race.
Michelle Brownstein was the top vote-getter with 6,861, or 27.35 percent of the vote. Gregory McElveen, the lone incumbent on the ballot, received 4,351 votes, or 16.33 percent, while Joseph Green was a close third with 4,097 votes, or 16.33 percent.
Now that the election is over, attention turns back to the board table, where the budget looms large on the horizon and is certain to be a top priority for the new term. Beyond balance sheets and budgetary concerns, Green said fostering open lines of communication with school stakeholders was a primary goal.
“I want to be a person that families and teachers can reach out to,†said Green, who said he learned a great deal from families and teachers during the campaign process. “The most real part of it is talking to voters.â€
Brownstein and McElveen echoed that sentiment and said their openness and ability to listen to voters was part of the reason they were elected.
“All along, I’ve been advocating for the success of all children,†Brownstein said. “It sounds like that message did resonate with them.â€
Brownstein also credited her network of supporters throughout the district for the high number of votes she garnered. Atop Brownstein’s to-do list is tackling the learning curve of being a new board member, a process she started in June by attending board meetings.
“The platform I went on was more of a process of consensus, communication and collaboration toward the greater good for all students,†she said. “So I’ll look through every issue with that lens.â€
For McElveen, being on the board for another term means more opportunities to help close the achievement gap by implementing teacher-support initiatives, such as Professional Learning Communities.
“The overarching priority is helping establish a culture of excellence, where we do whatever is necessary to help all our kids,†he said. “We have to make sure that all of our kids can be as successful as possible.â€
Though McElveen is a sitting board member, this was the first election in which he had participated. “I thought it was a great process to get to know the community,†he said.
“I’m pleased to have gotten to know my fellow candidates. We had a great group of people running.â€
For Green, getting to know other board members was an important part of the election process as well, and another reason he is looking forward to serving a role on the board.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to work with other school board members,†Green said. “It takes a lot of us — it’s not just one of us getting elected.â€