On Monday, June 12, 2023, the NC General Assembly passed Senate Bill 248, “an act to decrease the size of the Nash Board of Education to Seven members; to align the District for the Nash Board of Education with the Districts of Nash County Board of Commissioners; to provide for the boundaries of the Nash School Administrative Unit to be Identical to the Boundaries of Nash County effective July 1, 2024.


This legislative act, enacted by the General Assembly of North Carolina, introduces several key changes: 

1. Nash Board of Education Changes: 

  • The Nash Board of Education is reduced to seven members with staggered four-year terms, effective from the date the act becomes law.

  • Members will be elected on a nonpartisan basis during general elections in even-numbered years. The nonpartisan plurality method is used for these elections. 

  • The Board's members are to be elected from the same seven single-member electoral districts as the Nash County Board of Commissioners. 

  • Eligibility to serve on the Board requires being a qualified voter and resident of the respective district. 

  • Current members elected in 2022 will serve until their term ends, with no replacements for any vacancies before the term ends. 

2. Election Schedule Adjustments: 

  • In 2024, members from Districts 1, 3, and 4 will be elected for four-year terms, while those from Districts 2, 5, 6, and 7 will serve two-year terms. Starting in 2026, all members will serve four-year terms. 

3. Nash School Administrative Unit Boundaries:

  • Effective July 1, 2024, the Nash School Administrative Unit's boundaries will match those of Nash County. Board of Commissioners. Any area of the Nash School Administrative Unit outside Nash County will become part of the respective county's school administrative unit. 

  • The Nash Board of Education will administer all public schools within these boundaries. 

4. Transition and Transfer Provisions: 

  • Renaming of "Nash-Rocky Mount School Administrative Unit" to "Nash School Administrative Unit" and corresponding Board of Education is maintained. 

  • By November 15, 2023, Nash and Edgecombe school boards, in consultation with their county commissioners, must submit a transfer plan to the State Board of Education for the areas of the Nash School Administrative Unit located in Edgecombe County. This includes the transfer of assets, liabilities, and administrative responsibilities effective July 1, 2024. 

  • If no plan is submitted by the deadline, the State Board will create one. - The transfer plan becomes final unless modified by the General Assembly and is to be filed with the Secretary of State. 

5. Repeals: 

  • Various previous session laws that conflict with the current act are repealed, effective July 1, 2024.

6. Partisan Elections for Other County Boards: 

  • The act also mandates partisan elections for members of other districts. This act represents a significant restructuring of the Nash Board of Education and its administrative functions, aligning it more closely with the governance structure of Nash County, and introduces changes to election procedures for several education boards in North Carolina.

The Nash Board of Education believes in providing thorough and timely information to the citizens of Nash County. Below you will find more information on this topic including the and answers to frequently asked questions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long will the terms be?

  • The Board will consist of seven (7) members elected for staggered four-year terms.

  • “In addition to the members serving on the Nash Board of Education in accordance with subsection (e) of this section, seven members of the Nash Board of Education shall be elected in 2024. In order to implement staggered terms, members shall be elected to the Nash Board of Education as follows: (1) In 2024, and every four years thereafter, members from Districts 1, 3, and 4 shall be elected to serve a four-year term.” Sources: G.S. SESSION LAW 2023-37 SENATE BILL 248 SECTION 1.(f) (1)

  • “In 2024, members from Districts 2, 5, 6, and 7 shall be elected to serve a two-year term. In 2026, and every four years thereafter, members from Districts 2, 5, 6, and 7 shall be elected to serve a four-year term.” Sources: G.S.  SESSION LAW 2023-37 SENATE BILL 248 SECTION 1.(f) (2).

Can more than one member be elected from a single district?

  • Each member will be elected from each district.

What are the requirements for candidates?

  • To be eligible to file for, be elected to, or serve on the board of education, a person must be a qualified voter and resident of the district from which he or she seeks to be elected." Policy Code: 2110 - Section B, Board Member Elections https://boardpolicyonline.com/?b=nash_county&s=160370

  • "The Nash Board of Education shall organize in accordance with G.S. 115C-41. Vacancies on the Nash Board of Education shall be filled in accordance with G.S. 115C-37(f). To be eligible to fill a vacancy, the member shall reside in the district in which the vacating member was elected to serve."

    Sources: G.S.  SESSION LAW 2023-37 SENATE BILL 248 SECTION 1.(d)

  • "All members who were elected to the Nash Board of Education in 2022 shall continue to serve on the Nash Board of Education until the end of the elected term. If a Nash Board of Education member elected in 2022 vacates office for any reason prior to the end of the elected term, the vacancy shall not be filled."

    Sources: G.S. SESSION LAW 2023-37 SENATE BILL 248 SECTION 1.(e)  

  • "All vacancies in the membership of the board of education caused by death, resignation or otherwise will be filled by a person from the same voting district as the member creating the vacancy appointed by the remaining members of the board to serve until the next election of board members, at which time the remaining unexpired term will be filled by election." Legal References: G.S. 115C-37(f)

Policy Code: 2115 Unexpired Term Fulfillment https://boardpolicyonline.com/?b=nash_county&s=160371

How do you file to run for the Board of Education?

  • Candidates must file for election at the Nash County Board of Elections.

  • Filing for the November 5, 2024 elections is open from July 5, 2024 until July 19,

  • 2024.

  • There is a $96.00 filing fee

  • Contact the Nash County Board of Elections for more information.