Tedesco Wins Wake County School
Board Runoff
Elisabeth Lynne Bjork
Staff Writer
•Parents in Wake County have waited breath
lessly for weeks as the fate of Wake County
schools hung In the balance. Although turnout
at the polls was embarrassingly low In early
October, school board candidates debated over
one of the toughest Issues to address. Tues
day, November 3rd, the pendulum finally swung
towards a controversial new beginning for the
school system.
Several candidates campaigned earlier
this fall for a continuation of the current forced
busing system in place for the children in Wake
County Public Schools, They pushed for diver
sity among children from all backgrounds and
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locations across the county.
However, other candidates argued that
children should not have to travel all across
the county just to go to school. They fought for
neighborhood schools so children could stay
reasonably close to home, although the oppos
ing candidates feared this would essentially
lead to re-segregatlon.
After the initial elections on October 6th,
three of the four open school board positions
were filled by supporters of neighborhood
schools: Chris Malone, Deborah Prickett, and
Debra Goldman. At that point, the school
board, including the newly elected members
and the
already
existing of
fice holders,
was tied
concerning
the issue
of diversity.
The fate of
the county’s
children
hung in the
balance of
the closest
election.
John Tedes
co came out
in the lead
with 49.38%
of the votes,
while the
runner-
up, Cathy
Truitt, won
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23.72% Although some felt Tedesco should
have won with that percentage, Truitt immedi
ately filed for a run-off for November 3rd.
Parents prepared themselves for the final show
down between Tedesco. a neighborhood school
supporter, and Truitt, a busing proponent. But
Thomas Goldsmith and T. Keung Hui of www.
newsobserver.com, report that this showdown
almost did not happen. Truitt changed her
mind and tried to cancel the run-off, but she
was forced to carry through. She then voiced
her decision to give all her support to Tedesco,
but later she switched gears and said if parents
voted her in, she would enthusiastically accept
the office.
However, Tedesco won by a landslide this
past Tuesday, as he received more than three
times the votes that Truitt received. As newly-
elected Deborah Prickett said Tuesday on
vww.newsobserver.com, “The parents just had
enough. The public has spoken.”
Tedesco's win is a huge victory for proponents
of neighborhood schools as supporters of this
policy have filled every vacant office this fall.
This new school board majority also has other
plans, says www.newsobserver.com; these
members strive to stop yearly school atten
dance and change teaching planning times and
early release days as well.
They will also inherit the current economic
situa’tion and must implement their plans with a
constricted budget in mind.
These officials have their work cut out for
them, but as Prickett said, “The public has
spoken.” Parents want a change, and these
individuals have promised to implement sen
sible solutions that will help families across the
county.
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