WOODLAWN - Former board member Ray Gavin was selected by the Woodlawn School Board to fill the unexpired term of the late David Stover during the board’s regular monthly meeting Monday night.
In addition, the school board also gave the architect and construction manager permission to submit documents to the Arkansas Department of Education to proceed with the construction of the new Career Tech Center after the budget for the project came in close to the original estimates.
Gavin was one of four people who applied for the position that was left vacant after the passing of Stover on Aug. 18. The others were Royce Edmondson, Nikki Morgan and David White. The appointment is to fill Stover’s position until the end of his term, which will be in March 2028.
Each of the applicants were interviewed for five minutes by the school board in open session before voting, which was also done in open session.
Gavin told the board that he served on the Woodlawn School Board for 16 years before deciding not to run for re-election seven years ago. He said he decided to step away because of burnout and wanted to do something different. However, he said about two years ago he thought about running for the school board again, and when Stover’s seat became vacant, he applied.
He said being away from the board and school for the past seven years gives him a more independent view of the school and the district as a whole. Gavin also noted that he no longer has any children attending school at Woodlawn.
Gavin told the board that his two main priorities will be maintaining the district’s finances and investing in the educational tools to help students succeed.
Each of the applicants was asked by board president Larry Reynolds if they had any agendas concerning any personnel, school or the district as whole. None said they did.
The four remaining members of the board - Reynolds, Rodger Stewart, Aaron Tooke and Marty Reed - struggled with having to make a decision among the four, especially consi…