As the school year starts on August 8, the Polk School District Board of Education will be down one member as one of the newest board members tendered his resignation at Tuesday’s school board meeting in Cedartown.
Hal Floyd, who soundly defeated former school board chairman Harold McDurmon in the May 2016 primary, is stepping down from his District 6 seat.
Floyd cited a change made in the Georgia Department of Education’s definition of immediate family and the eligibility of a local school board member as it related to nepotism as the reason for his resignation.
A nepotism policy is put in place to prevent favoritism of family members of elected officials from receiving special treatment in hiring, promotions, etc.
Floyd’s daughter-in-law, Shea Floyd was promoted as Assistant Principal at Rockmart Middle School, effective on July 19, with Hal Floyd abstaining from the vote to approve her promotion.
However, the new state nepotism policy states that he cannot serve on the board while his “immediate family” is employed in an administrator position in the school system.
In a prepared statement, Floyd said that the board was not made aware of the policy change, and that the sole responsibility of informing the board would have been the superintendent.
Speaking of former superintendent William Hunter, Floyd said that “for reasons known only to him, all evidence of having received that ruling was either destroyed or disappeared.”
Floyd thanked the citizens, teachers, faculty, administrators, and all PSD employees for their support and that it was an honor to serve.
Official details on what is next in filling the District 6 seat are not immediately known, but Floyd’s written statement discussed a November special called election.