BY MIKE FUHRMAN

The Iredell County Republican Party’s Executive Committee has some important work to do on Monday evening.

At the risk of sounding over-dramatic, nothing less than the future of Iredell-Statesville Schools will hang in the balance as the Executive Committee interviews applicants and selects a nominee for the District 2 seat on the I-SS Board of Education.

In public school districts where elections are partisan contests, state law empowers the executive committee of the political party of a member who resigns to nominate someone to fill the seat. The school board is legally required to appoint that nominee.

If you’ve been following the I-SS Board for the past three-plus years, you understand why it is critical for the GOP Executive Committee to select an applicant who understands the role and responsibilities of the school board, someone who is committed to doing what is best for district students and staff, and someone who can leave their personal political agendas at home.

In the three-plus years since the November 2022 election, when MIke Kubiniec, Anita Kurn, Brian Sloan and Abby Trent were elected, the I-SS Board has been nothing short of a four-alarm dumpster fire, highlighted by hundreds of secret text messages among board members, allegations of stalking, and numerous instances of unprofessional conduct that have been an embarrassment to the entire county.

The lowest of the low points occurred in January when Board chair Kevin Angell and Kubiniec had to be separated by staff members after the regular meeting was adjourned because of Kurn’s repeated interruptions of the new chair. Shortly after that altercation Angell informed district officials that he was resigning his seat as the District 2 representative.

The Board has deadlocked 3-3 on matters of great importance and even some trivial matters since Angell’s exodus with Kubiniec, Kurn and Sloan digging their heels in on one side and Chairman Doug Knight and members Ronda Hoke and Cindy Haynes (who was appointed to Trent’s seat after her resignation) on the other side.

As you can see, the new board member will have the ability to tip the balance of power to one side or the other.

In the past, the Executive Committee has made sound choices when it has been called upon to fill a seat on the I-SS Board. Most recently, Haynes has been a voice of reason since returning to the board. And Bryan Shoemaker filled in capably when he was appointed to succeed Ken Poindexter.

Yet there is reason to be concerned about what will happen this time around.

First, this is the same Executive Committee that chose to send a “statement of disapproval” to Angell following his altercation with Kubiniec. There’s no doubt that Angell crossed the line, but Kubiniec’s conduct was equally embarrassing and unprofessional. By encouraging Angell to “bring it on, bitch,” he poured gas on a volatile situation.

It’s worth noting that Kubiniec and Kurn led the effort to have the GOP Executive Committee publicly scold Angell, showing that they have at least some sway over the group that will select Angell’s successor. If you’re part of the camp that believes Kurn and Kubiniec are the worst thing that has ever happened to I-SS, that fact should trouble you.

In the past, the GOP Executive Committee has stayed out of personal conflicts between party officials. It wasn’t long ago that Iredell County Commissioner Gene Houpe threatened to “stomp” former Executive Committee Chairman John Allen’s “ass” in the parking lot during a GOP meeting. The Executive Committee did not publicly repudiate Houpe for threatening physical violence against Allen. It would be interesting to know why Angell’s threats warranted a statement of disapproval from GOP leaders, but Houpe got a free pass.

Second, looming over the selection process is an email that Kubiniec’s former campaign adviser, Micah Phelps, sent to I-SS Superintendent Jeff James claiming that he possesses “the votes on the executive committee to fill the vacancy of that term if I so desired.” This is the same individual who refers to himself as “The Puppetmaster” and claims he was the force behind Kubiniec and Kurn getting elected in 2022. If what he claims is true, we can expect more chaos and dysfunction at I-SS meetings — at least until the November election.

So, as the GOP Executive Committee fulfills its legal responsibility on Monday, it’s important that those members who select the new District 2 representative understand the significance of their work. The stakes are quite high. 

Every parent of an I-SS student as well as district employees and business and civic leaders should be paying close attention to the outcome of Monday’s meeting. If the committee gets it wrong, 20,000 students and 2,000 district employees will pay the price. 

Mike Fuhrman is the editor and publisher of Iredell Free News.

Related

♦ Iredell County GOP Executive Committee accepting applications for District 2 seat on I-SS Board
♦ Iredell commissioner faces criticism after threatening to ‘stomp’ former GOP chairman’s ass