Grubb selected to fill vacant seat on Whitley BOE

The Whitley County Board of Education is now officially complete.

The board met last Thursday evening for their second special-called meeting in a week to appoint a new member to fill a vacancy on the board. Following a brief executive session, which was closed to the public, the board announced Paula Grubb as the newest member of the board.

Grubb will fill the third-district seat, which has been vacant since former board member Malorie Cooper resigned in December 2022.

Board Chair Brenda Hill said that Grubb would be a perfect fit on the board.

“The most important qualifications for a school board member are passion and dedication to the students of Whitley County. When a student is given an opportunity to succeed, the Whitley County School District and our community succeeds. Paula Grubb possesses those essential qualifications,” said Hill. “We look forward to working with her.”

Grubb is a 1996 graduate of Whitley County High School and currently works with student employment and Title IX at Union College, where she has worked in various roles for nearly two decades. She also has two sons who currently attend Whitley County schools.

Following her appointment, Grubb said she has considered attempting to try for a seat on the board for quite some time and expressed her desire to be a part of moving the school district forward.

“I look forward to filling this position on the board and keep helping the district grow and I look forward to seeing what all can be done in the future,” said Grubb.

Grubb was sworn in during the meeting by board attorney Tim Crawford and then took her seat among the other board members, where she made her first motion as part of the board to adjourn the meeting.

The board initially selected Kelly Bryant, a former WCHS teacher, to fill the vacancy during a Jan. 26th special-called meeting, where the board interviewed both Grubb and Bryant during a closed executive session. However, the district announced last Tuesday that she would not be taking over the seat due to a conflict of interest.

In a statement released by the school district, they said after “a review of the daily operations of the school districts and statutes pertaining to board members,” in which the district regularly makes purchases with a local business that Brant’s husband is a part owner of.

Upon Cooper’s resignation in December, the board had 60 days to fill the vacant seat and solicited for applications from interested individuals. Grubb and Bryant were the only two applicants.