The pivotal issue in the Macon County School Board race was whether the candidates favored building a new K-4 school or refurbishing and keeping the old community schools of Cowee and Iotla.

The winners in the race are split on how they feel about the issue.

Frieda Bennett, who defeated John Shearl for the District I seat, said she favors keeping the smaller schools, saying she thinks it is a better learning environment for children.

Building the new school is controversial because citizens voted down a bond issue in November 2007 that would have paid for two new schools, but the county commissioners decided to go forward with the projects anyway.

Sheron Mayhorn of Macon County, a 45-year-old secretary, said “People voted down (the bond issue) and they did it anyway. They (county commissioners) are deceiving the people of this county.”

The new fifth- and sixth-grade school is under construction, but there are no firm plans on the K-4 school.

This will be the first time that Bennett has served in public office. She is a retired schoolteacher, who taught 21 years in Highlands in grades 5-12.

“I am just so glad people had faith in me, and I will do what I can to do what the folks want,” she said.

She said once she takes office in December she plans to “get up to speed” and work on raising test scores.

She said she wants to hear from the people and gave her phone number: 828.371.1127.

Baldwin wins in District III

Tommy Baldwin, who defeated Brian Bateman for the District III seat, also favors keeping the smaller schools.

Baldwin is a 24-year veteran of the school board and will be serving his seventh term.

However, he said there are challenges to keeping the old Iotla and Cowee schools. Baldwin says it costs more to staff two schools rather than one larger K-4 school.

He noted that there has not been a final decision made on whether to build the new school, and that gives the school board and county commissioners time to “look at it.”

Baldwin is retired from the state Department of Transportation, and he said he will now be able to devote more time to the school board.

He said he continues to run for the seat because, “I love the kids and it’s a wonderful county.”

Breedlove takes District IV

Jimmy Breedlove, who soundly defeated his three opponents in the District IV race with 51.5 percent of the vote, said he his undecided on whether he favors building new school or keeping Iotla and Cowee. “I feel I don’t have the information to make a decision,” Breedlove said.

He said he will have to study the budget.

Breedlove, who is the city vice president at United Community Bank in Franklin, said he does not know why he won by such a large margin.

“All the guys who ran were committed,” he said. “I am just overwhelmed by the vote of confidence the voters gave me.”

Breedlove defeated Alan Allman, Gregg Jones, and Dwight Vinson.

Bishop to serve schools

District IV candidate Bobby Bishop, who defeated Roberta Swank for a two-year term on the school board, said he favors constructing a new school as opposed to keeping the old community schools.

“I’ve said from the beginning that I support building a new school,” he said. However, he said with the economic problems the country is facing it may be better to hold off for a while.

He said after the new fifth and sixth grade school is completed, then it can then be determined if it is economically feasible to build the K-4 school.

Bishop said it doesn’t matter what size the schools are but instead keeping the students per class low.

Bishop has been a building inspector for Macon County for 15 years.