'I'm very, very excited': Rutherford school board chooses Shelia Bratton as new chairwoman

Shelia Bratton emerged as the new "chairwoman" of the Rutherford County Board of Education Tuesday to replace Tammy Sharp.

Bratton won support to be the new leader from five of the seven board members, including Sharp.

Prior to the meeting, Sharp withdrew pursing another one-year term for a position she called "chairman" after disclosing recent diagnosis "requires my full attention and focus on my health and treatment."

Women are in majority of board seats: Can't call mostly female Rutherford school board 'good ol' boy system anymore'

The chairman role includes presiding over meetings and working with the board-appointed Rutherford County Schools Director James "Jimmy" Sullivan in crafting agendas for a fast-growing district serving about 52,000 students at 50 schools.

Sharp prior to voting for Bratton to succeed her thanked the many people who called, emailed and texted her to show support for Sharp while she seeks treatment for the illness.

"It was an honor for me to serve the past year with Dr. Sullivan," Sharp said.

Chairing school board: Rutherford school board to vote on new leadership as Sharp steps aside

New chairwoman says top goal involves school rezoning 'to get all of our children a good seat'

After the meeting, Bratton talked about her 47 years in education as a retired teacher, administrator and elected board member.

"I'm going to finish out my 48th leading this county along with the best director in Tennessee, and I'm very, very excited," Bratton said.

Bratton also mentioned how the board will be rezoning fast-growing schools to help relieve overcrowding at many campuses for a district that depends on 179 portable classrooms.

"That is our number one thing, to get all of our children a good seat," said Bratton, adding the process includes getting schools built. "Our biggest, biggest goal is to get people rezoned."

Bratton also had support to be chairwoman from fellow board members Coy Young, Frances Rosales and Claire Maxwell.

Fellow board member Caleb Tidwell nominated and voted for Katie Darby to be the new chairwoman. Darby, however, abstained from the vote.

School projects: Commission funds expansions for overcrowded Riverdale, Oakland and Smyrna high schools

Majority of board appoints Claire Maxwell to serve as vice chairwoman

In addition to choosing Bratton as the new chairwoman, the majority of the board appointed Maxwell to be the new vice chairwoman, which is a position that fills in to preside over meetings when the chairwoman is absent.

"I look forward to working with Shelia and the rest of the board, and I'm proud to serve," Maxwell said.

Maxwell had support from Bratton, Rosales and Young to be vice chairwoman.

Darby nominated and voted for Tidwell to remain as the vice chairman, and Sharp also backed him remaining in the role. Tidwell abstained from this vote.

Rutherford school board election 2020: Claire Maxwell captures 61% of vote to defeats 16-year incumbent Terry Hodge

Board member upset by cyberbullying from Sharp's supporters

Prior to the vote for chairwoman, Rosales said part of the reason she wanted new leadership was because of the cyberbullying attacks she endured the past year from supporters of Sharp, including being called an "idiot" and "clown" and "liar" and "Mexican supremacist" for being a bilingual woman who speaks English and Spanish.

A biracial woman with Black, Indian and Puerto Rican heritage, Rosales said her parents taught her to not look at her skin color as being imperfect and focus on "the integrity of my character."

Rosales recalled facing harassment online from Sharp's supporters for being a strong advocate in advance of the board's decision to buy 61.4 acres of John L. Batey's 408.5-acre farm on the westside in the Blackman community. Although Sharp had concerns about the price being too high, the board agreed to pay $5.2 million for the farmland to build two schools off Baker and Blackman roads.

School board to buy part of Batey farm: 'Celebrity' pig's burial plot for Wilbur preserved in family cemetery on farmland not obtained for future schools

In addition to facing cyberbullying attacks, Rosales said people who spoke in favor of her also faced being called "Marxists" and "child abusers."

Rosales won her seat in 2022 with fellow Republicans Tidwell, Darby and Sharp, who won reelection unopposed. All four backed Sharp to be chairman September 2022 along with Maxwell, a Republican who won her seat in 2020 as an independent prior to school board partisan elections that started in 2022.

The board needs new "leadership for harmony" to collaboratively work together, Rosales said.

"I genuinely believe education opens doors for opportunity," Rosales said.

Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. Follow his tweets on the X social media platform @ScottBroden. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.

Roll call votes on chairwoman and vice chairwoman

• Rutherford County Board of Education members who supported Shelia Bratton to be chairwoman: Coy Young, Tammy Sharp, Claire Maxwell, Frances Rosales and Bratton

• Board member who supported Katie Darby to be chairwoman: Caleb Tidwell

• Board member who abstained: Darby

• Board members who supported Maxwell to be vice chairwoman: Rosales, Young, Bratton and Maxwell

• Board members who supported Tidwell to remain as vice chairman: Darby and Sharp

• Board member who abstained from vice chairman vote: Tidwell

Source: roll call votes at Sept. 5 Rutherford County Board of Education meeting

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Rutherford school board chooses Shelia Bratton as new chairwoman