For Immediate Release:

Friday, June 28, 2024

After Permanently 'Canceling' SBMA on Baseless Claims, York County Government Reverses Its Decision

The School Board Member Alliance of Virginia (SBMA) is finally vindicated from the baseless and unlawful actions taken against it by York County officials to permanently suspend the professional organization from contracting with the county in any way. 

SBMA's Executive Director, Sherri Story, said: "After county officials went out of their way to target and disparage SBMA, presumably for political reasons, our attorneys appealed the county's actions on our behalf, pointing out all the ways they failed to follow the law and even their own local regulations for public contracting. Today, York County wisely reversed course, issuing a letter declaring "I rescind the determination that SBMA is non-responsible.""

According to Story, "While we appreciate York County doing the right thing and reversing their unlawful action, SBMA now deserves a public apology from York County to help restore our reputation that its actions directly harmed. Agitators and news outlets have been using York's unlawful action against SBMA to impugn our character, and now York County needs to make clear to the public that it was wrong." 

For background about SBMA: SBMA's mission is to promote high-quality school board governance training that emphasizes excellence in public education and addresses the distinctive needs of each student. To learn more about SBMA, visit www.mysbma.org.

Click HERE to watch.

Click HERE to listen to the show.

Click HERE to access the letter of appeal. . .

York County's Allegations Against SBMA Contain False and Unfounded Accusations

The School Board Member Alliance (SBMA) firmly refutes the recent claims made by York County Purchasing Agent Janet Dudley which allege that SBMA threatened a York County school board member. These allegations are false and unsubstantiated.

Setting the Record Straight

Sherri Story, SBMA chairwoman, met via videoconference with York County School Board members Kim Goodwin and Lynda Fairman, both SBMA members. This meeting was to discuss the recurring agenda item concerning school board leadership.

SBMA fully recognizes and encourages the independent judgment that school board members must exercise in their governance roles. We also support our members in following the law. Under Virginia law, the school board chair is elected at the annual organizational meeting and serves a one-year term Va. Code § 22.1-76. York County School Board’s policy also states that the Chair is selected at the annual organizational meeting (Policy BCB).

At no time during the videoconference, nor in any interactions with Goodwin, did SBMA suggest that we would stop providing her with professional support services or withdraw our support. Any claim suggesting otherwise is flatly false. 

York County's Unjust Actions

It appears York County did not fully or properly apprise itself of these facts before excluding SBMA from doing business with the county. Before making this surprising, arbitrary, and unlawful decision, York County did not contact Story or Fairman, two of the three people on the videoconference, to gather the necessary information. Additionally, under York’s Procurement Policies, a determination of non-responsibility cannot be made without first having a live request for bids and receiving bids responsive to that request (York County Ordinance 23-3 § 10-3). This did not happen, making York County's decision legally deficient.

Appealing the Decision

SBMA will appeal York County’s decision. Our legal advisors have identified several other deficiencies in York County’s actions, which will be addressed in the appeal.

Contact:  Shelly Norden/ SBMA Marketing Director/ snorden@mysbma.org