The School Board on Monday night unanimously appointed John Copeland to fill the unexpired term of Mary Anderson, whose tragic death in October left the Board one member short.
The choice of Copeland was unsurprising: the certified public accountant ran unopposed for the Western Caroline seat previously held by Anderson in the November general election, scooping up 765 votes to a meager 23 write-ins.
Remembrances of Anderson, who would have completed her first term Dec. 31., punctuated the otherwise uneventful Nov. 9 School Board meeting.
“Mary was a good lady,” Chairman George Spaulding said before asking those assembled to join him in a moment of silence in her honor. “She did a good job in the four years that she was with us, and we’re going to miss her.”
“I lost and we all lost a true friend,” Copeland said during the citizen comment portion of the meeting. “Filling her shoes will be most difficult.”
Under Virginia code, the School Board had 45 days to fill the vacancy left by Anderson with a qualified voter from the Western Caroline district.
Copeland will hold Anderson’s seat until Dec. 31, after which his first term as an elected member will begin.
– CP Reporter Sarah Vogelsong
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