WINDSOR – As much as Barry McGlone loved working as a public servant in Bertie County – first as a high school teacher/coach and later as a member of the local board of education – it’s a safe guess he would sought another term on the school board.

Sadly, he will not have that opportunity.

McGlone, age 64, died unexpectedly on March 4 at his home in Lewiston. At the time of his death, McGlone was in the final year of his first, four-year term on the Bertie Board of Education, where he served as Vice Chairman.

Now, his board colleagues are charged with the task of appointing an individual to fill out the remaining eight months on McGlone’s term.

According to North Carolina General Statute GS 115C-37(f) (Vacancies in Office) – All vacancies in the membership of the boards of education, whose members are elected pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, by death, resignation, or other causes shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the board, of a person to serve until the next election of members of such board, at which time the remaining unexpired term of the office in which the vacancy occurs shall be filled by election.

The Bertie County Board of Education is accepting applications from citizens interested in serving out McGlone’s term. Those applicants are required to live in District 4, which covers Roxobel, Kelford, and Lewiston-Woodville.

Anyone interested in the position should submit an application, letter of interest and resume to: Board of Education Clerk, Bertie County Schools, P.O. Box 10, Windsor, NC 27983. Instead of mailing, applicants may bring the information to the Bertie County Schools Central Office, located at 715 US Hwy 13 North, Windsor, during regular business hours, or email to Board of Education Clerk, Kimberly Cooper: kcooper@bertie.k12.nc.us

Applications may be found at www.bertie.k12.nc.us under the News items on the main page.

Those applications require the individual’s full name, street address, town/Zip Code, email address and phone number. Applicants are also required to (in a maximum of 150 words each) to describe why they wish to serve as a member of the Bertie County Schools Board of Education; describe their educational background, community work and civic experience; describe any prior or current involvement with Bertie County Schools and/or the Bertie County Board of Education; and list the current and future issues they believe must be addressed by the Bertie County Board of Education.

The deadline to submit the letter of interest and resume is 5 p.m. on Friday, March 23.

The current four members of the Bertie Board of Education are scheduled to review all applications during a special called meeting on March 26. It is anticipated that the school board members will narrow that list and interview the top candidates on March 29. Hopefully, the new member will be sworn in at the regular meeting of the board on April 17.

As mentioned earlier in this story, the individual chosen by the school board will serve the remainder of McGlone’s term, which ends with the 2018 general election in November. That individual may choose to file for election to the school board. Filing for school board seats begins June 11 and closes at 12 noon on July 6.

The winners of the November 6 General Election will serve a four-year term on the Bertie Board of Education (2018-2022). Two other seats on that board are also part of this year’s election cycle. Those seats are currently held by Jo Johnson and Emma Johnson.