The Macon County Board of Education knew it would be saying goodbye to one current member on Monday night.
It turned out that the board had to bid adieu to two.
Highlands representative Stephanie McCall chose not to run for a third term on the board, thus when Hillary Wilkes won election on Nov. 3 it meant that the November board meeting would be McCall’s last.
“I have learned so much being on this board and it has been an honor to serve not only the students and teachers in Highlands, but all of Macon County,” McCall said. “I can’t say enough about coach (Fred) Goldsmith, and each member of this board for all you have done to make our schools the best they can be.”
Board chair Jim Breedlove thanked McCall for her years of service and then called a special meeting on Dec. 7 to deliver the oath of office for Wilkes, prior to the board’s regularly scheduled December meeting.
Goldsmith then announced that he was resigning from the school board, citing “personal family matters” that will require him to move to Georgia.
The former college football coach, who returned to Western North Carolina and helped rebuild Franklin High School’s football program, said he was disappointed that he had to resign but felt like he was making the right decision for his family.
He then encouraged the Macon County Board of Commissioners to raise the tax rate to better fund area schools.
“I am not running for reelection, in fact I’m resigning early, so I am just going to come right out and say this – we need to raise our taxes,” Goldsmith said. “We don’t need to be the highest in the state, or even in the top half, but bragging about having one of the lowest tax rates isn’t helping our students or our teachers.”
Goldsmith added that he was disappointed that in his years on the board a new Franklin High School has not been built and no plans are in the immediate future to build a new facility.
“Years ago we put off making repairs to the Franklin High School building because we were looking into a new high school and nothing has come of that,” Goldsmith said. “So now, not only do we not have a new school, but the one that is there needs even more major work. We need to get back to where we were pre-recession (of 2008) because our students and teachers deserve better.”
Breedlove thanked Goldsmith for his years of service and called a Nov. 30 special session, where the remaining members of the board will choose a replacement for Goldsmith. No possible replacements were introduced on Monday.