Vaughn chosen to fill Fulton school board vacancy

<p>Paula Tredway/FULTON SUN</p><p>Robert Vaughn was sworn in as the newest member of the Fulton Public School District 58 Board of Education during a special meeting Tuesday night in the high school library/media center. Vaughn replaces Verdis Lee Sr., who resigned in early June.</p>

Paula Tredway/FULTON SUN

Robert Vaughn was sworn in as the newest member of the Fulton Public School District 58 Board of Education during a special meeting Tuesday night in the high school library/media center. Vaughn replaces Verdis Lee Sr., who resigned in early June.

The Fulton Public School District 58 Board of Education voted unanimously in choosing Robert Vaughn to fill the vacancy on the board during a special meeting Tuesday night in the high school library/media center.

Vaughn was selected to fill the spot left by Verdis Lee Sr., who resigned in early June.

Three other individuals also applied for the board position: Terrance Vaughn, Scott Lowe and Jeremy Washington.

"I would like to take a moment to thank all the applicants who applied for the Board of Education position," board president Jackie Pritchett said. "We recognize and we appreciate your willingness to serve the students, staff and community by dedicating your time.

"While serving as a Board of Education member can be challenging at times, it can also be extremely rewarding to give back and see the positive difference we can make in the lives of others. Regardless of who is appointed to the board, I sincerely thank each of you."

Each applicant was allotted five minutes to give a presentation about their vision for the board and why they would like to be a part of it. Afterwards, applicants were asked a set of questions by each board member ranging from what they believe the current challenges public school and school boards face to if they plan to continue on the board after their seat expires.

"My vision in hoping to be a part of the school board is first, diversity, and when I look at the current status of the school board, I see no people of color and it's not just about the color of skin," Robert Vaughn said. "But in that aspect I do think it's important that our student body and our community see a school board that exemplifies what the world looks like."

He then went on to mention that diversity is also important in the terms of experiences.

"Being at Fulton High School," said Robert Vaughn, "I was an individual who had a visual impairment and so my student experience was much different. But I'm thankful to Fulton Public Schools for giving me all the tools and accessibility to resources that I needed, so that's important as well too to make sure that we have somebody who has a variety of experiences."

He also believes it is important for the board to have a sense of accountability and collaboration because the school system is multifaceted. Having people who are able to view and see things from all different angles and perspectives, and are willing to work towards an end goal will benefit the school district.

After some conversation by the board, member Emily Omohundro made a motion to fill the vacancy with Robert Vaughn, followed by a second from Pritchett and a 6-0 vote.

Superintendent Dr. Ty Crain then swore in Robert Vaughn as an official Fulton board member.

"I think it's going to be a great opportunity to serve my home school district," Robert Vaughn said. "I'm excited. I want to accomplish tackling student disparities."