THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407080315
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Pledging to lead according to the wishes of parents, students and the rest of the School Board, retired school administrator James R. Darden took over the chairmanship of the board Tuesday.
Darden leads a majority on the board - six of 11 members - who were elected in May in the city's first School Board elections. He has served on the board since January, when he was appointed by the City Council to fill a six-month slot representing the Lynnhaven Borough.
The board elected Darden on a 10-0 vote, with board member Elsie M. Barnes abstaining, after a 35-minute closed session. No other board members were nominated for the spot.
``I will try to live up to your faith,'' Darden said. ``I will try to take the school system forward.''
Darden replaces Samuel W. Meekins Jr., an attorney who served one three-year term as chairman before deciding to not defend his seat in May's elections.
Darden did not have Meekins' full support at election time.
In a statement before the vote, Meekins said he was ``concerned that he (Darden) is a retired school administrator and thus more likely to be unwilling to deal strongly with personnel shortcomings.'' In his statement, Meekins also said he believed ``the School Board should be a place for citizens, not school administrators.''
Darden said he would ``try to dispel the notion that a former administrator can't serve on the board.''
``I'm going to put the system first, not individuals,'' he said. ``I'm going to involve the board in a total, total way. I'm not going to operate out there on my own.''
Also elected Tuesday to a leadership role on the board was June T. Kernutt, a board member since 1992 who defended her seat in the May elections. The 41-year-old housewife will serve as vice chairwoman.
Kernutt was elected with six votes. Four board members - Darden, Tim Jackson, Charles Vincent and Ulysses Van Spiva - voted for Spiva for vice chairman. Spiva is a retired professor from Old Dominion University. Barnes again abstained in the vote. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
James R. Darden
Retired school administrator
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL BOARD by CNB