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The Southampton County School Board took no public action Monday, Sept. 9, in response to a letter from county administration requesting, on behalf of the county’s Board of Supervisors, that the school division fully cooperate with a forensic audit.

School Board Chair Dr. Deborah Goodwyn opened the school board’s regular monthly meeting Monday asking if any board member would like to add an item to the night’s agenda.

Among multiple additions from different members, School Board Member Dr. Jennifer Tindle requested adding “to open session the letter from the Board of Supervisors.”

“No,” Goodwyn said. “The letter from the Board of Supervisors is a legal matter that we’ll take up in closed session.”

In the disclaimer listing the subjects to be discussed in closed session, Goodwyn stated that the board would be discussing “personnel appointments and resignations, intra-district student transfers, out-of-district student admissions, personnel title changes and a legal matter dealing with the Board of Supervisors’ letter.”

When the school board returned to open session from closed session later in the evening, the board took a variety of actions related to students and personnel, and then Goodwyn added, “We discussed a legal matter that needs no action.”

Southampton County Administrator Brian S. Thrower sent a letter dated Thursday, Sept. 5, via email and certified mail to school board members and Southampton County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Gwendolyn P. Shannon. Part of the letter reads as follows:

“At its Aug. 27, 2024, meeting, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to move forward with engaging an outside auditing firm for the purpose of conducting a forensic audit of the Southampton County Public School System. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of that decision and respectfully request your cooperation with the audit. It is the board’s hope that you will fully cooperate with all aspects of that audit.

“As requested by the Board of Supervisors, please send me written confirmation no later than Sept. 19, 2024, as to whether the school system intends to fully cooperate with all aspects of the forensic audit once an audit firm has been contracted by the county.”

The Tidewater News sent Shannon and the nine school board members requests for comment via email Friday morning, Sept. 6, in reference to the Board of Supervisors’ votes calling for both a forensic audit and the division’s cooperation with it. No responses were received by press time on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

In a Sept. 10 interview, Board of Supervisors Chair Dr. Alan W. Edwards summarized why the Board of Supervisors voted to pursue a forensic audit.

“The audit is to answer financial questions concerning appropriation of state, federal and local tax funds,” he stated. “The taxpayers have a right to transparency and justification of financial matters that has been denied to all interested parties. If you have matters to hide, then this is the mode that you take. These are answers to legitimate questions that are not forthcoming and deserve answers in a school system that is readily ‘going downhill.’”