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Burnop Sworn in as Avery County Board of Education Member

Michell Krege Burnop. Picture courtesy of Marion Krege.

By Tim Gardner

Michelle Krege Burnop was sworn in as the newest Avery County Board of Education member during the Board’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday night, March 12 at the School System’s Central Office in Newland.

Besides Burnop, all other Board members were present at the meeting–Chairman John Greene, Vice-Chairwoman Kathey Aldridge, Pat Edwards, and Randy Singleton—as well as Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Brigman.

Burnop received the highest number of votes in Avery’s non-partisan Board of Education election on March 5 with 2,261.  Finishing second was Linda Webb, who got 1,885 votes.  David Wright followed in third.  He got 1,781 votes. Casey Lee finished fourth with 1,454 votes.  Jason Coleman got 987 votes to finish fifth. Ivy Vance Stafford received 600 votes for sixth place. Jeffrey Keller followed with 501 votes for seventh place. And Scott Stanford got 455 votes to finish eighth.

Webb and Wright join Burnop in winning the three available School Board seats. 

There were also 48 write-in votes for Board of Education.

Burnop was a long-time teacher in the Avery County Public Schools System, retiring after 21 years of service. She was recognized as Avery County’s Teacher of The Year in 2011.

In the Board of Education race, those who won the primary election were automatically elected and do not have to run in the General Election in November. There is also no run-off or second primary election in a non-partisan North Carolina Board of Education race, meaning that a candidate does not have to obtain a certain percentage of the vote to avoid a run-off or second primary.

There are normally five Avery Board of Education members, but there has been only four since the June 2022 resignation of former Board member Ruth Shirley until Burnop’s appointment. The current Board members did not agree on who should be appointed to replace Shirley in several in-house votes taken, each ending in a 2-2 deadlock.  A 4-0 or 3-1 majority vote was required to appoint a new member.

But the current Board of Education members decided by a unanimous 4-0 vote at their December 12, 2023 regular monthly meeting to appoint the candidate who received the most votes in the public election to begin serving in March to fill the Board vacancy to add to his or her regular term, which will start this summer.  Therefore, Burnop was sworn in this month.  

She will continue to fill Shirley’s former Board of Education seat for the next four months. 

“On behalf of the entire Avery County Schools community, we extend a warm welcome to Mrs. Burnop as our newest school board member,” stated Dr. Brigman. “We are thrilled to have her join the Board in our mission to provide exceptional education and support to our students.  Her dedication to our students, staff, and schools shines brightly, and we are deeply grateful for her commitment. Her passion for education and willingness to contribute her time and expertise are truly commendable.”

The school superintendent added: “Mrs. Burnop’s presence is valued and appreciated. We look forward to collaborating with her and benefiting from her vision and leadership as a beacon of positivity and support for our school community.”

Burnop expressed deep appreciation for being elected to the Board of Education.

“I‘m very thankful for the confidence displayed in me by the county’s voters and will work hard to help our school system excel in all aspects,” she said.

High Country Press will soon have an in-depth article with Burnop about her goals and objectives for the school system while serving on the Board of Education.

After her tenure filling Shirley’s vacancy, Burnop will then join Webb, and Wright in serving their regular four-year School Board of Education terms on July 9 when they will be sworn in at that month’s Board meeting.  

The terms of Greene and Aldridge expire this year, but neither ran for re-election to the Board.  The terms of Singleton and Edwards are still active until in 2026.

Avery County Board of Elections officials will conclude an election canvass on Friday, March 15.  Voting results will then be certified and become official. That includes the Avery Board of Education election.

A voting canvass overturns election results only when vote totals between the top finishers are very close (usually within a few votes) and a recount shows different numbers than originally established following an election and before a canvass is finished. But Burnop got 376 more votes than the second-place finisher (Webb), 480 more than the third-place finisher (Wright), and at least 800 more than any of the other candidates.

New Board officers (Chairman or Chairwoman and Vice-Chairman or Vice-Chairwoman) will be elected by a vote of Board members at their July meeting following the swearing in of Burnop, Webb, and Wright.

In other March 12 Board of Education meeting happenings, various students and contributors to the county’s school system were recognized.

The 2023-2024 Avery High Wrestling Team was honored at the March 12 Avery Board of Education meeting with state tournament qualifiers recognized.  From left-to-right:  Avery Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Brigman, Avery Head Coach Matthew Dunn,  wrestlers Mason Bentley, Cael Dunn, Greyson Hoilman, and School Board Chairman John Greene.

The following Avery County High School Wrestling team members, along with their head coach Matthew Dunn, were honored during the Board of Education meeting for their team and individual achievements in the individual/over-all team state championship tournament:

*Alexandero Ical Tiul, 106-pound State Qualifier 

*Cooper Foster, 113-pound State Champion. He pinned Robbinsville’s Adair Panama in 1:49 to win the 113-pound weight class.  Foster is a two-time State Champion.

*Benjamin Jordan, 132-pound State Champion, winning by a 9-2 decision over Lejeune’s James Campos.  He is a three-time State Champion and was the 2023-2024 Western Highlands 2-A, 1-A Conference Wrestler of The Year.

*Grant Reece, 138-Pound State Qualifier.  A senior, Reece celebrated the 100th pin of his prep career in the first round of the Dual State Tournament two weeks prior to the State Individual/Over-All Team Championships and would have been the favorite to win this season’s state championship had he not gotten injured shortly before the tournament started.

*Kenneth Pritz, 144-Pound State Champion.  He claimed the 144-poundweight class title with a 5-1 decision over Tarboro’s Stephen Ribustello.

*Mason Bentley, 150-Pound State Runner-Up.  This junior also was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler in the 2024 Western Highland Conference Tournament, in which Avery won its eighth straight championship in such. 

*Cael Dunn 175-Pound State Champion. He is a two-time State Champion, and won by the 2024 State Title by pinfall against Ryan Deloach of Rosewood in 1:10.

*Grayson Hoilman (junior)  285-Pound State Placer 

Cael Dunn (55-0), Foster (53-0), and Pritz (52-0) all finished with undefeated seasons.  Dunn is a sophomore. Foster and Pritz are juniors.

Jordan, a senior, finished the season with only one loss (50-1).  

Avery finished second to Robbinsville in the State Individual/Over-All Team State Championship Tournament by a 124.5 to 114.5 score.

Avery also finished as state runner-up to Uwharrie Charter in the Dual Team State Championship by a 36-33 score.

*Lily Flores

One over-all girls state championship team from all levels of competition was crowned from the Individual/Over-All Team Tournament and wrestlers competed against each other from all classification levels (1-A, 2-A, 3-A, and 4-A).  2024 marked the first girls NCHSAA State Individual/Team Championship Tournament, and sophomore Lily Flores of Avery set history by becoming the first female wrestler from Western North Carolina in a state championship match.  She finished second in the 1-A’s 152-pound weight class. 

Dr. Brigman declared:  “Our wrestling program has brought our high school, our school system, and our county tremendous recognition and provided us with awesome pride.  We salute every wrestler, coach, and all others who have played a part in the success of our great wrestling program that has been traditionally the best in the state the past several seasons.”

The School Board also commended King Orvosh for demonstrating exceptional character and kindness to a young man from Swain County during a wrestling match this season.

Dr. Brigman commented of Orvosh’s gesture: “It is acts of character and kindness like Orvosh’s in helping the Swain young person that have the power to positively impact the world and contribute to making it a better place.”

Other students were recognized by the Board of Education during the meeting:

*Erika Ralston participated in the Northwest District All-Region band audition on March 9 and successfully earned a spot in the band. She secured the 10th chair out of 104 auditionees from across the district, narrowly missing qualifying for the state band by only 4 chairs.

Erika Ralston holds a commemorative plaque in recognition of her being chosen to the Northwest District All-Region Band audition.  She is pictured with Avery Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Brigman (left) and School Board Chairman John Greene (right).

Dr. Brigman said of Ralsto’s achievement: “This is truly remarkable. The audition process is known for its rigorous and stressful nature, and Erika’s success speaks volumes about her dedication and perseverance. Her achievement not only reflects the excellence of Cranberry Middle School, but also highlights the promising trajectory of the Avery County Band Program.

“Erika’s determination and talent shine brightly, serving as an inspiration to her peers and a testament to the quality of music education in our community. We applaud her hard work and celebrate her well-deserved success.”

*Matilda Gragg, a Banner Elk Elementary School student, has been awarded the overall victory in the 2024 County-Wide Elementary Schools Amazing Shake competition. 

Matilda Gragg, a Banner Elk Elementary School student, displays her award symbolic of her overall victory in the 2024 Avery County-Wide Elementary Schools Amazing Shake competition.

Dr. Brigman remarked:  “Winning the Amazing Shake competition is a difficult task and Matilda deserves applause for it.  So, on behalf of our school system and all Avery County, I say the highest of congratulations to Matilda!”

Equally-deserving of recognition was the County-Wide Middle School Amazing Shake Competition Overall Winner Emsley Townsend.

“Emsley is to be applauded for his feat in winning the County’s Middle School Amazing Shake Competition, “Dr. Brigman stated.  “Emsley and all others involved in the competition displayed good talents and skills and can be most proud of their performances.”

The Amazing Shake’s second place winner was Katarina Marriott, while Parker Oakley and Luke Johnson were third place winners.

*Additionally, the school system’s Fourth-Quarter 20023 Friends of Education Award was presented by Greene and Dr. Brigman to the county’s non-profit food pantry Feeding Avery Families. 

Feeding Avery Families Co-Directors, Richard “Dick” M. Larson, MD (second-from-right) and Jo-Ann McMurray (holding recognition plaque given by Board of Education), with its Community Outreach / Latino Initiative Coordinator, Vanessa Benavides Phillips (second-from-left), represented the food pantry while it was honored by the Board of Education.  Shown making the plaque presentation is Avery Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Brigman (left) and Board Chairman John Greene (right).

“We extend a heartfelt thank you to Feeding Avery Families for its staff’s invaluable support to our students, families, and communities,” Dr. Brigman said.  “Their unwavering commitment to assisting children in need of food is truly commendable. We express our gratitude to the Co-Directors, Richard “Dick” M. Larson, MD, and Jo-Ann McMurray, as well as to the Community Outreach / Latino Initiative Coordinator, Vanessa Benavides Phillips, as well as to all the organization’s volunteers for their outstanding dedication and service. Their efforts are nothing short of extraordinary!”

(Pictures courtesy of Avery County Schools)