STAFFORD — The Stafford County School Board Chairman was asked to pass the gavel during a discussion on residential development and student redistricting.

During the Tuesday, August 12 meeting, School Board Member Irene Egan identified a possible conflict of interest with Chairman Patricia Healy, and asked Healy to step aside as chairman when the Board discusses redistricting.

Healy is currently a lawyer at Leming & Healy P.C. which represents developers within Stafford County, to include developer Robert Gollahon. Gollahon, who wants to build 100 homes in the Hartwood section of the county, is suing the county over the cluster decision made by the Board of Supervisors in March.

That decision limited the areas in the county where new homes in cluster subdivisions can be built in an effort to curb growth and development. Gollahon and others argue they played by the county’s rules and spent thousands on required plans for the subdivision only to have them tossed out.

While no clear plans have been put on paper, School Board members are in agreement that all elementary schools will be redistricted during the 2018-2019 school year and will take effect in the 2019-2020 school year.

Stafford County’s growing student population brought on by residents moving into the county is the catalyst for redistricting. The school division is running out of seats in classrooms and has discussed using trailer classrooms to house new students.

Egan referred back to February 2015 and comments made by parents about redistricting. She stated that the general consensus was that the School Board needed better public outreach, reinstate fairness, make the process as transparent as possible, and address conflicts of interest.

Egan singled out the ninth bullet in the Code of Conduct which states, “I will refrain from using the board position for personal or partisan gain and avoid any conflicts of interest or the appearance of impropriety.”

Egan sees an issue with Healy’s profession as her law firm has 16 open lawsuits against the Board of Supervisors, the School Board’s funding body.

“One of the recurring themes was Ms. Healy’s role on this board and her law firm,” Egan said. “Development has a direct impact on redistricting proffers. I do not believe Ms. Healy should be presiding over board discussions, actions, work sessions, or other activity that this board takes up that relates directly to development and its impact on the schools going forward.”

Not asking Healy to step down as chairman or recuse herself, however, she did ask her to pass the gavel to Vice-Chairman Dwyane McOsker during any form of discussion about development that has a direct impact on Stafford County Schools.

Egan then went one step further asking Healy to step down as the School Board’s chairman of the Joint Schools Working Committee where the School Board and Board of Supervisors work hand-in-hand on school-related issues.

In response, McOsker asked the School Board’s legal attorney for a review.

The School Board’s Executive Director of Administrative & Legal Services Daryl Nelson stated that since no one on the Board was ready for the discussion they should bring the discussion back at the next Board meeting.

Griffs-Widewater School Board member Jamie Decatur agreed.

“My reason for seconding the motion is nothing personal,” Decatur said. “It’s that I answer to the residents of Stafford County.”

The School Board will take up the issue at their next meeting.