Will meet in special session Tuesday

It’s coming down to the wire, but the Chesapeake Board of Education may still try to decide who will fill the vacancy on its board.

During a special meeting next Tuesday, board president Mike Dyer said he would see if the board could come to an agreement on who will replace Bill Pratt. Pratt resigned from the board the first part of April after he was named to the Lawrence County Commission.

On Tuesday the board was deadlocked on its choice of the eight Chesapeake residents who said they wanted to serve.

Dyer and Dr. Kim Oxley wanted Alex Martin, an audiologist with King’s Daughters Medical Center, while Jerry Osborne and David Bennett threw their support to Jerry Frye, a CSX employee.

According to the Ohio Revised Code the board has 30 days from the time Pratt resigned, which would make the deadline Friday.

If the board cannot reach the decision, Probate Judge David Payne would choose the replacement. There is no time limit for Payne to make that decision. However that decision will not be in Payne’s hands until the 30 days are up.

“The board will try to resolve this within itself,” Dyer said.