Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board postpones pick for chair after split vote

CMCSS Board of Education Vice Chair Jimme Garland (left) and Board Chair Kent Griffy (right) (Screenshots) 

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) Board of Education postponed its pick for chair after voting ended in a deadlock at Tuesday’s regular board meeting.

The vote came down to two nominees: Kent Griffy, a Republican who has served as chair since 2022, and Jimmie Garland, a Democrat and vice chair since 2022. The 3-3 vote was divided among party lines. The three votes for Garland included himself and Democrat board members Carol Berry and Herbert Nelson, while Griffy was joined by Chris Lanier and Aron Maberry. Republican board member Kacie Bryant was absent.

“Griffy has served as our chair for the last two years, and I think change is good. And so that is my rationale,” Berry said of her vote. “That’s my take on it.”

After some back and forth between board members, board attorney Mark Nolan suggested that the board revisit the vote at their next formal board meeting in October.

“We are tied in a deadlock, and there's only six of you, so unless someone is going to change their mind, there is no guidance as to how to do this. But if it is a stalemate, I would suggest to the board that you pass [a motion] until we have a seventh member, which would be hopefully at the next formal meeting in October,” Nolan said.

Lanier then made a motion to postpone the vote, leaving Griffy and Garland in their roles until the board can break the deadlock. Board members unanimously approved the motion.

The meeting marked the first formal meeting since voters elected Bryant and Lanier in August.