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The School Board Selection Commission of Southampton County announced Monday, June 27, that it had made two reappointments to the Southampton County School Board and one new appointment in the at-large seat.

School Board Chair Dr. Deborah Goodwyn was reappointed to the Boykins District seat, Christopher Smith Sr. was reappointed to the Jerusalem District seat, and Orris Lane was appointed to the at-large seat, replacing William Worsham, who did not seek reappointment.

Terms on the Southampton County School Board last for four years, and these terms for Goodwyn, Smith and Lane begin July 1.

Goodwyn, who has served as board chair for five years, indicated that this will be her fifth term on the school board.

“I’m excited about being reappointed, and I’m looking forward to continuing my work with the other members of the Southampton County School Board,” she said Tuesday, June 28.

She briefly explained the process that Smith, Lane, herself and others seeking one of the available school board seats went through in connection to the School Board Selection Commission.

“Persons interested in serving on the school board have to make a presentation to that commission or to speak to that commission, to submit a letter of interest that talks about the reasons for wanting to serve and then give an oral presentation of why you want to serve, and that took place a week ago,” she said.

Smith indicated it was a privilege to continue serving the school division as a board member.

“I am deeply honored to have been reappointed to continue to serve the students, parents, staff and other stakeholders of our great system,” he said.

Lane brings to the school board more than 32 years of experience in education, including nine years as a teacher within Southampton County Public Schools at Courtland Elementary School.

She said she thought it was this extensive service in education that helped set her apart in a field of candidates for the at-large seat that she described as consisting of at least four or five qualified people.

She affirmed that she has been thinking about serving on the school board for a while, and there were a couple of factors that helped motivate her to formally express her interest this year.

“I feel that there was an issue about communication and being transparent,” she said. “I would like to see that improve a little bit more, because I’m hearing the parents are all up in arms because no communication between parents and the school board, so I would like to improve on that.

“I would (also) like to implement some type of program that elementary schools have a better transition to the middle school, because many elementary students, especially in the sixth grade, they don’t know how to transition very well,” she added. “I would like to come up with something like that, that would help them.”