While the Flagler County School Board has two seats up for election later this year, a third member is planning an early exit.

At a district workshop meeting earlier this month, board member Sally Hunt said she plans to resign when she is “able to” and noted that she “will not be here in November.”

Hunt won the District 1 seat in August 2022 and officially began her term that November.

But rather than resign in time for new candidates to qualify for this year’s election, Hunt plans to stay on a little bit longer. This means Gov. Ron DeSantis will have to appoint her replacement.

According to Florida Statute 114.04, if there is less than 28 months remaining in an individual’s term in a state, district or county office other than a member or officer of the legislature, then the governor can appoint an individual for that vacancy. The appointment would be in place of a county election.

Hunt has completed about 19 months of her four-year — or 48 month — term, and she has about 29 months remaining.

What happened at Flagler’s workshop?

At the district’s June 3 workshop, board member Colleen Conklin asked Hunt if she was “definitely resigning,” to which Hunt responded, “Oh, yeah.”

When Conklin asked Hunt when she plans to leave, Hunt said, “That is when I’m able to, but I mean, I will not be here in November.”

At the workshop, Conklin said, “I’m surprised because I didn’t believe that was going to be the case because there could have been an election for that third seat.”

Hunt said, “I did consider that.”

Fellow school board members disappointed in Hunt’s decision

When asked if he believed Hunt was aware of Florida Statute 114.04’s stipulations, Board Chair Will Furry told The News-Journal that he believed so.

“Based on her comments at the last workshop, Dr. Conklin did ask her very poignantly about that, and she said that she did take that under consideration, so based on those comments, I would have to say that she does know,” he said.

Furry, Conklin and Cheryl Massaro all agree that having an election is the best way to appoint a new board member.

“An election is always the best way — let the people decide,” Furry said. “But again, this is Sally Hunt’s choice, and hers alone, and so she has to make that because she doesn’t work for me, she doesn’t work for any of the board members, she works for her constituents, and so she answers to them but, yeah, it’s not the ideal scenario to have a four-member board, which isn’t what it was intended to be.”

Conklin told The News-Journal that having the governor make the appointment could take up to a year, and the board would operate with four members until that appointment is made.

It is unclear how the board would decide items that result in tie votes. Options could potentially include motions falling flat or going in the direction of the chair.

“It’s just disappointing that we could not have had an election to fill that spot,” Conklin said. “It has removed the opportunity for Flagler County voters to have a say in who they want to sit at that seat.”

Massaro predicted that Hunt’s actions will not sit well with Democrats in Flagler County, specifically.

“She is a Democrat, and it’s hard to get a Democrat elected in Flagler County,” Massaro said. “I likely do not think that Gov. DeSantis is going to appoint another Democrat. He’ll put in a Republican, and it’ll probably be somebody that favors all his ideals, you know, and the conservative base.”

Massaro told The News-Journal that she heard Hunt purchased a home in Peachtree City, Georgia, and is spending a great deal of time there, and is coming back to Flagler County for school board meetings. She said she thinks Hunt will officially sell her Florida home and move to Georgia once she finishes home improvements.

According to documents on the Peachtree City website, Hunt in March applied for building permits related to building an in-law suite for a property she owns/occupies in the city.

“She doesn’t attend liaison meetings,” Massaro said. “She doesn’t do any of the special functions like Teacher of the Year. She wasn’t there. … Every year, (the) school board serves all our police breakfast the very first day they come back. She wasn’t there. Actually, it’s been minimal the experience that she’s had these last two years.”

Conklin confirmed that she has heard similar speculations, but said she cannot personally confirm whether or not they’re true.

Massaro believes that engagement and participation at events is a critical component of being a quality board member.

“You can be a great school board member and do everything you’re supposed to do, or you can be one that does the bare minimum, and that’s not exactly the best school board member, and that’s where she’s at,” Massaro said. “She’s come to no events. She missed both graduations, you know, because she believes people don’t like her, and that’s probably true, but there’s no reason to punish their families and their kids. I mean, it makes us look bad as a board.

“It’s almost a condition of fraud to me,” Massaro continued. “And I mean, I guess she’s an elected official, but she’s being paid the same amount every one of us is being paid, yet she’s not doing any of the job except showing up for occasional meetings, especially the two-day meetings.”

Hunt: Home renovations are no one’s business

Hunt told The News-Journal that she is “still performing as a board member,” adding that “various board members have missed multiple meetings, some board members not attending at all, not even virtually … The amount of meetings that I have fully been gone from, like not attending virtually or in-person, is very minimal.”

“As far as these accusations,” Hunt continued, “… there is truth in this. But first of all, even if I am out of town renovating a house, that is none of anybody’s business. … I have a homestead in Flagler County. I registered to vote in Flagler County. I have my driver’s license in Flagler County. It is my permanent address, so I am a District One resident of Flagler County.”

Board member Christy Chong declined to comment for this story.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Sally Hunt to resign from Flagler School Board; DeSantis to fill her vacancy