Youth Council's letter to the school board

Dear Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board Members,

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP Youth Council is writing to express our recommendations about the vacant seat. We support an open application process that promotes transparency, fairness, and public trust by giving the community a clear understanding of how we consider interested candidates and make the final appointment. Because School Board members make decisions that have significant and lasting impacts on students, families, staff, and the broader community, the process for filling a vacant seat should be as open and accessible as possible.

We encourage the Board to consider a process that includes:

• A publicly announced application period open to eligible community members.

• Clearly stated qualifications, expectations, and responsibilities for applicants.

• A consistent set of questions and interview process for all candidates.

  • Community and students' input on the questions asked to possible candidates.

• Opportunities for the public to learn about the applicants before a final decision is made.

• Clearly communicated criteria explaining how candidates will be evaluated.

• A public timeline outlining each step of the appointment process.

• A final selection and vote conducted during an open Board meeting.

• A publicly announced duration of the appointed candidate's term of service.

An established process would help ensure that all interested and qualified community members have an opportunity to be considered rather than creating the perception that potential candidates were identified or selected before the public had an opportunity to participate.

This request is not about supporting or opposing any particular individual. It is about the integrity of the process. A transparent and consistent process helps build confidence that the person appointed to the Board was selected through thoughtful consideration of qualifications, community needs, and the responsibilities of public service.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP Youth Council respectfully asks the Board to use this vacancy as an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to transparency, accountability, equity, fairness, and public confidence in district governance.

Youth and the community deserve to understand not only who is selected to serve, but also how and why that decision is made. Thank you for considering our request.

Sincerely, Kennedy A. Lytle