The School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) unanimously elected Diyonne McGraw as its new chairwoman at its annual organizational meeting on Tuesday. Leanetta McNealy will continue to serve as vice chair, based on another unanimous vote after she turned down a nomination for chair. 

Superintendent Shane Andrew ran the meeting in the temporary absence of a chair, beginning with a call for nominations to that position. Board Member Tina Certain, whose term as chairwoman ended at the SBAC’s last meeting, immediately nominated Vice Chair McNealy, who served as chair in 2020 and 2021. 

McNealy said she could not accept the nomination at this time, countering with a nomination for McGraw, whom the board voted unanimously to accept. 

McGraw first joined the school board in 2020, but in June 2021 Governor Ron DeSantis removed her from the position for living a few hundred feet outside the district she was elected to serve. McGraw sued the governor to challenge her removal, but a circuit court judge dismissed her claims. 

In 2022, McGraw recaptured her place on the school board on a platform of vocational programming and mental and behavioral health support. 

Board Member Kay Abbitt nominated McNealy to continue serving as vice chair, and this time McNealy accepted. The board unanimously approved the nomination. 

The board also approved a meeting schedule, committee assignments, board member travel funding, SI school assignments and a renewal of the board attorney’s contract. 

The board will continue to meet regularly at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of every month, except for the following cancellations: the second meetings in November and December and the first meetings in January and July. 

Board members will continue to serve in their existing committee assignments such as the Gainesville and Alachua County plan boards, the Education Foundation of Alachua County, the Library Governing Board and the Alachua County Juvenile Justice Advisory Council. 

Board Member Sarah Rockwell asked to be removed as Legislative Committee Liaison because of a standing schedule conflict, and McGraw volunteered to take her place.  

Abbitt expressed interest in the position on the Children’s Trust of Alachua County board of directors. Certain, who currently serves that role, said she is not willing to leave the Children’s Trust at this time. Certain said Abbitt could bring the swap up again next year for reconsideration. 

Board attorney David Delaney said there is no standard practice for rearranging board member committee assignments.