Democrats flipped four historically Republican seats on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board in this week’s election.
The school board currently has a 5-4 split, Democrat to Republican. But that will all change after the latest District 2 race.
Democrats Lee Childress, Susan Conway, Curtis Fentress and Marie Jackson won those seats which have been held by Republicans for more than 10 years. Childress says the election results took him by surprise.
"I didn't expect it. I thought it would be a very close race. But at the end of the day, we're going to have to govern and we're going to have to do what's best for the students and staff of the school district," Childress said. "We're going to have to watch our budget and all of that. But right now, it's surreal that we are in the position that we're in.”
Only two sitting board members were re-elected: Trevonia Brown-Gaither and Alex Bohannon representing District 1. Republican incumbent Robert Barr lost his seat in the District 2 race.
Valerie Brockenbrough, Elisabeth Motsinger and Ronda Mays secured the three At-Large seats. The new board will be made up of all Democrats.
The school district has had a tumultuous couple of years with a major financial crisis, hundreds of layoffs and several leadership changes. Board members will be tasked with rebuilding trust and finding a permanent superintendent.