The Crook County School Board appointed a new member on Monday, a decision that’s being challenged by soon-to-be members who were elected in May.
Next month, a far-right majority will take control of the rural district of about 3,000 students. This shift drove the recent resignation of its superintendent, and now the political power struggles are playing out in court.
On Monday night, the board unanimously selected Steve Holliday among a crowded field of 23 applicants hoping to fill an open seat. Holliday will replace Gwen Carr, who resigned from the school board in June after suffering a head injury, according to a district press release.
Steve Holliday was appointed to the Crook County School Board on June 26, 2023.
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Holliday currently serves as the board president for the Powell Butte Community Charter School. His prior experience in school administration made him stand out from the applicant pool, according to outgoing board chair Jessica Ritter.
“He has so much board experience which I think will be invaluable to a fairly inexperienced board coming in,” Ritter said.
Ritter and two other board members were ousted in the May elections by a conservative slate, all backed by a single political action committee.
Headed by Cheyenne Edgerly, a local business owner with a history of anti-LGBTQ activism, their campaigns made widespread accusations of leftist indoctrination in schools, claims the district and current board have denied.
Holliday’s selection was briefly stalled by an ongoing lawsuit and restraining order championed by Edgerly. The complaint accuses the current board of violating district policy by rushing the appointment process.
Last week Crook County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Forte lifted the temporary restraining order against the district, allowing the appointment process to continue before the new board members are sworn into office.
Edgerly said in a written statement on Saturday that she still believes the current board broke its own rules and she intends to move forward with the lawsuit to revoke Holliday’s appointment.
In June, Superintendent Sara Johnson announced she would resign as of July 6, and that the new board members “played a significant role” in her decision.
Holliday said in a press release this week that he wants to make sure the district “remains a positive place.”
“I’m eager to work collaboratively with the incoming school board to ensure high student achievement, maintain a great staff culture, plan for future growth, and make needed repairs to older buildings,” Holliday said in the release.
