Commission appoints Justin Haucke to fill unexpired School Board term for District 5

The Maury County Commission voted this week to appoint Justin Haucke to fill the unexpired term for District 5 School Board member Laura Nutt, who recently resigned from the position.

Haucke's term will run from now until August, when the position will be open once again for election. Prior to the vote, District 7 Commissioner Aaron Miller said Haucke was also endorsed by outgoing member Nutt to serve as her replacement.

Other nominees included David Moore, who previously served District 5 on the school board, but was defeated in his 2022 race for re-election by Nutt.

More: Maury Co. School Board Dist. 5 profiles: 2 candidates share their objectives

Public comments back both candidates

Prior to the vote, the floor was opened to the public and the nominees for comments.

This included former Maury County Commission Chairman Michael Fulbright endorsed Moore as the right choice based on his past work experience alongside him. Fulbright also served three years as school board chairman during Moore's tenure.

"Any time I had any questions with what was going on with the school board, David was going to be able to answer it," Fulbright said. "We are very blessed to have two people who have volunteered to serve in this role. That is something we should be very proud of, and whoever is nominated we will be blessed to have that person."

Former commissioner Sue Stephenson suggested that Nutt's role should be filled by her husband, Justin Nutt, a tradition she said is fairly common when an official leaves an unexpired term. Though since he was not nominated, Stephenson endorsed Haucke as the right candidate.

"The school board needs fresh minds, and has struggled over the past years, particularly with audit findings," Stephenson said. "David served on the school board for two terms already. I support Justin and think he will do a good job ... and this is something that has been taking place for a number of years. Filling unexpired terms is a pretty rare event, but when it does happen, it is very important."

Candidates share comments to commission

Following public comment, both Moore and Haucke were provided time to speak on their nominations.

Moore argued that his two-term experience on the board would bring an advantage, such as overcoming the initial learning curve of serving, as well as his personal attachment to the schools. This includes not only bringing his children up through the Maury County system, but also preparing for his first grandchild's early education experience.

"There is a bit of a learning curve, and I hope my experience can get past that, especially going into the budget season coming on very quickly," Moore said. "To be able to step right in, I can start doing my homework and be able to fill the seat as the 11th member to be able to move forward with that board."

About Maury County opening a charter school, a recent controversy which failed to pass twice, as well as at the state level, Moore said, "it remains an open topic worthy of discussion," but that he could not state his support or opposition.

More: Maury Co. school board denies ACA charter school proposal 2nd time around

Haucke, a 14-year Spring Hill resident, said he has experience in budgeting, and wants Maury County to set better long-term goals. This way the schools can grow and develop in conjunction with the county's overall growth.

"When people ask, 'If something isn't broken, why try to fix it?' I like to say, well if it isn't broken, can you not make it better?" Haucke said. "Of course, nobody on the school board is going to agree on all of the same things, but you can get things done by talking it out, being civil and whatnot."

Haucke added that he is also in support of Maury County opening a charter school, if that were to reappear as a topic of discussion.

"I have zero problem with us having a charter school in this county," Haucke said. "As far as I know from what I've seen, it's kind of a lottery, while some people say it's not and that they pick and choose. That is not how I've been informed on how a charter school works, and so if we had a charter school I'm sure I'd apply for at least one of my children to go there."

In the end, Haucke received 12 votes against Moore, who received seven votes.

Jay Powell is a general reporter for The Daily Herald. Get up-to-date news in your inbox by subscribing to The Daily Herald newsletter at www.ColumbiaDailyHerald.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Commission appoints Justin Haucke to School Board for District 5