A new year may have arrived, but the Rock Hill Board of Education remains engulfed by the same old infighting.

The board had its organizational meeting Monday to elect its officers and swear-in incoming members Wanda Jenkins and Carl Large. One problem arose: Neither Jenkins nor Large attended the meeting and Jenkins says she was never notified of it.

“I was never properly notified. I have nothing in writing,” she said. “I went to the meeting on Dec. 22 and no one said anything to me about setting up a meeting for the organizational meeting.”

State law is not clear as to the proper procedure for notification of an organizational meeting.

Superintendent Lloyd Evans said he believes Jenkins did know about the meeting since it was discussed at the December meeting, though Jenkins had already left, and published in the newspaper.

“I am certain she knew about the meeting. It ran in the newspaper twice,” Evans said. “I don’t know why she didn’t attend.”

Evans said Large had told the board that he would be able to attend but later said he couldn’t make it. Large was unable to be reached for comment on Monday.

Both new members can be sworn in at the next meeting, Evans said.

Jenkins countered that she was left out of the loop intentionally because of the bad blood between herself and some current board members.

A Lawrence County jury removed board members Lavetta Sites, Paul R. Johnson and Jenkins from the office last year after the group Citizens Against Poor Spending (CAPS) filed a lawsuit alleging “malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance of office.”

The ousted board members await the results of an appeal filed with the Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals. Regardless of the decision, Jenkins was reelected to her board post in November.

“They don’t like me and they are very unhappy I was elected again,” Jenkins said. “… I am disappointed. I would like to think everyone could work together but they are starting off on the wrong foot.”

Board members Ora Cox, Jackie Harris and Rich Donohue were in attendance, meaning the board had the number of members present required to have a legal meeting.

Harris was appointed to serve as board president with Cox as vice president. The board also set its monthly board-meeting schedule for 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month at Rock Hill High School.

“It was a good meeting. We conducted the school businesses that needed conducted,” Evans said. “We are ready to move on to focus on school business.”