Politics

Holt elected School Board chair

Amy Lynn Holt moves to the center of the board table as the new chair of the Henderson County School Board.

By Bill Moss, Published: December 12, 2016

Amy Lynn Holt, a Hendersonville High School parent and the board's most vocal advocate for saving the historic core building for HHS use, was elected chair of the Henderson County School Board Monday night.

In a 5-2 vote, board members elected Holt over Mary Louise Corn, the top vote getter in the Nov. 8 election and a former West Henderson High School principal.

In electing Holt, the board chose a leader who has argued strongly that the Board of Commissioners had usurped its authority by overriding the School Board's recommendation on school construction priorities and design. The School Board voted 4-3 for a renovation-new construction option that would have saved the Erle Stillwell-designed classroom building and auditorium for future HHS students. Instead, commissioners voted unanimously for a new construction plan that would preserve the historic building for a future unspecified use.

The School Board also has voted to put Edneyville Elementary School ahead of the HHS construction, a ranking that the Board of Commissioners also rejected.