The Liberty County Board of Education may have a finalist for its superintendent position. But coming to an agreement on moving forward may be an issue.

The school board could not form a quorum at the end of its Tuesday meeting, leaving the official announcement of a finalist in limbo.

Verdell Jones, board chair, said she was ready to announce the sole finalist for superintendent, Dr. Kendra V. Johnson. The announcement of the finalist has to sit for 14 days before the board can take final action.

“Time is of the essence,” Jones said.

But school board member Dr. Marcus Scott offered a motion to make Debra Frazier, the interim superintendent, the superintendent for the 2025-26 school year. Carol Guyett seconded the motion.

Jones, however, took issue with how the motion came about, since Frazier wasn’t approached about it beforehand, and board members had not discussed doing so.

“Mrs. Frazier is in retirement and for a permanent position she would have to come out of retirement,” Jones said. “I don’t think it’s fair to put her in that spot.

“I’m so sorry they would put you on the spot like that,” Jones said.

“I’m not,” Scott replied. Frazier, who was named the interim superintendent in June, said she would give the matter “serious consideration.”

Other school board members voiced the support for the measure.

“In this particular instance, if you are willing to stay, I would vote for that,” Donita Strickland said.

“I don’t have a problem with Mrs. Frazier. I do have a problem with putting her on the spot,” Levonia LeCounte said. “She’s doing an awesome job but to put her on the spot, I don’t agree with it.”

No vote was taken on the motion and after Jones declared a recess, and the board reconvened without Guyett and Scott. Board member Natalie Hines joined the meeting by phone and board member Dr. Chante’ Baker Martin was not able to attend.

“So giving (Frazier) a couple of weeks to make a decision is what I’m hearing,” Scott said.

Jones said the school board has been working with the Georgia School Boards Association since March 28 for the superintendent search. There were 32 applicants and 11 were interviewed over the course of several days.

Jones said it was not good business to get to the point the board was at to have a search firm help with the process and the board tries to abort the process “without any proper procedure or consideration.”

“This school district is better than that. Because you can’t have your particular (candidate), that is what the vote is about,” Jones said to Scott.

Jones said the school board has spent money flying in candidates from across the country to interview.

“We were tasked with making sure we get a superintendent in place,” Jones said. “These members who have abruptly walked out and left has left us without a quorum. It’s just poor business to not make a decision, period. To put Mrs. Frazier, to ask her to do anything we have not consulted with her to do, and to abort the process we have been in is ludicrous. It’s disrespectful. Liberty County and the school district and our children deserve better than this.”

School board members, in a split decision, voted last fall not to renew Dr. Franklin Perry’s contract as superintendent. His contract expired June 30.