The level of distrust between members of the Wake County school board's Democratic majority and Superintendent Tony Tata during his final month on the job was high.

As noted in today's article, the release this week of more than 3,400 pages of emails from Aug. 1 through Sept. 25 showed repeated board allegations that staff was trying to undermine them. Democratic board members also tried to distance themselves from the bus problems and the complaints about the release of the draft student assignment plan.

“I hate to seem suspicious, but at this time I am left with little other than to conclude that some on staff are trying to undermine the Board by creating mass confusion in the community,” school board member Jim Martin wrote in a Sept. 22 reply to Ellen Nightingale on the draft plan. “This is unacceptable.”

How does the idea sound of having a mass election for all Wake County school board seats in 2014?

As noted in today's article, state Rep. Chris Malone said legislators are considering various options for changing the way Wake school board members are elected in response to the request from the board of commissioners.

Ideas on the table include making some or all the seats at-large and changing the elections to even-numbered years. One of the more intriguing ideas would involve extending by a year the board members elected in 2009 and shortening by a year those elected in 2011.

Former Wake County school board member Chris Malone is one of two Republican state legislators who is criticizing the school system for hiring a lobbyist to oppose changes backed by county commissioners.

Malone's comments are part of this press release issued today by the North Carolina chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative advocacy group that's no fan of the current Democratic board majority.

“As a former member of the Wake County School Board, I understand the need for another elected body to offer its views on proposed or needed legislation," Malone says in the press release. "While on the Board, I often made our case to our Wake County Legislative Delegation, via telephone, email or personal visit. Legislators are more than willing to listen to various points of view."

Former Wake County school board member Debra Goldman wants to be remembered for being thoughtful in all her decisions and for actions such as bringing Tony Tata to the area and helping "students be able to go to schools closer to where they live."

Goldman explained during a press conference today that she resigned Friday to become executive director of the Derie Cheek Reece Foundation , a Wilkes County-based non-profit that raises awareness of strokes and how to prevent them. Goldman was asked what she hoped would be the legacy that she'd leave behind on the board.

"I believe that my legacy will be what I've heard in these letters I've been getting, the phone calls, the emails, the Facebook messages (from supporters since the resignation)," Goldman said. "They all have been they felt I was a board member that really thought about every decision."

it looks like Wake County school board member Debra Goldman's resignation plans didn't go as planned, setting up a potential legal issue for the district.

Goldman said her plan was to announce her resignation at Tuesday's meeting, where she would discuss the new job she's taking with a non-profit in the Wilkes County area. She wanted to wait until then so she could vote on the filling the District 1 board vacancy.

"I am preparing to move,” Goldman said. “The voters in my district deserve to have me weigh in on the replacement for Chris Malone. I still live in Cary.”

UPDATE

The legal controversy is over. Goldman sent this followup email announcing her resignation goes into effect immediately.

Hello again... My excitement continues to mount regarding my new position. As I'm very eager to move forward, I have spoken with Jonathan Blumberg. I believe that to make this as streamlined as possible, for all involved, my resignation is effective right away. I would like to be able to represent my district, but feel that with my need to transition and go back and forth between Wake and Wilkes, it is best for all that I resign at this time.
Debra Goldman
WCPSS Board of Education

It looks like the Wake County school board will now have two vacancies to fill.

Debra Goldman changed her voter registration status last week from Cary to Ronda, a town in Wilkes County. She's now been dropped from the Wake County Board of Elections rolls, disqualifying her from serving on the school board.

It's not immediately clear if Goldman, who missed the Jan. 22 board meeting, has submitted her resignation yet. She did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.

This gives the Democratic board majority a chance now, along with filling Chris Malone's vacancy, to increase the majority to 7-2.

It looks like the Wake County school board should be prepared to see the General Assembly pass the legislative changes requested by county commissioners.

As noted in today's article, State Rep. Paul Stam of Apex, House Speaker pro tempore, said Wednesday he expects the GOP-led legislature to pass this year new laws that would allow Wake County commissioners to take over ownership of schools and to require that some Wake school board seats be elected on a countywide basis.

Stam also said he’s expecting a bill to pass this year that would allow all counties to help charter schools build their facilities.

The Wake County Republican Party is looking for candidates to run for the Wake County school board this year.

In the Elephant Express on Wednesday, Wake GOP Chairwoman Susan Bryant writes that "now it’s 2013, and we begin another election year…a critical election year for municipal elections and school board elections. And we know how important they are."

Later in the newsletter, Bryant writes that "we need anyone interested in running for any 2013 office to get in touch with our recruitment committee." She tells interested people to email Chairman@wakegop.org,

Changes on the Wake County school board mean new leadership roles for board members Kevin Hill and Susan Evans.

Hill will now chair the board's facilities committee, replacing the departed Chris Malone. Hill, who can now chair committees since he's no longer board chair, will lead the committee as it takes the lead role in developing the new school bond issue.

New board chairman Keith Sutton has asked Evans to take over for him as chair of the board's finance committee. Evans will chair the lead committee on developing the school budget in what could be a tough funding year with county commissioners.

I can tell you that eight people have applied for the District 1 vacancy on the Wake County school board, but that's about all I can say for most of them.

Six last-minute applications came in this afternoon to beat the 5 p.m. filing deadline. The problem is administrators say they can't reach the person who received the applications to say who they are from.

Administrators say they expect to have the names of the final six applicants by Monday.

UPDATE

As of 4 p.m. Monday, Wake has not provided the names or applications of the people who filed Friday.