Ray White, outgoing Board of Education president of Madison City Schools, was voted out by a 3-4 margin May 11. (Contributed)

By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer

MADISON – Ray White is, effective May 11 after a vote at the Madison City Council meeting, outgoing president of the Board of Education for Madison City Schools.

As part of the rotation of slots, White’s place on the Board was up for re-appointment this year. The City Council held public interviews for the position starting on April 28.

Tim Holtcamp, who has been a candidate the past two years, was approved by a 5-2 majority of the City Council. White failed to get a majority, as the Council voted 3-4 against White.

Thusly, Holtcamp will begin his tenure on the Board at the body’s first June meeting with current Board members Connie Spears, Terri Johnson, David Hergenroeder and Ranae Bartlett.

White had been a member of the school board since 2005 and president for several years. The Board votes on the president annually.

“Ray is a great guy,” Spears said after the meeting. “He’s worked really hard and put in a lot of hours, and he will be missed.”

Also interviewed for the position were Dr. Emily Cook and Antonio Gellineau.

As part of the formal process, District 3 Councilman D.J. Klein nominated White for the position on May 11. When the vote was called, Klein, Council President Tommy Overcash and District 1 Councilman Tim Holcombe voted for White’s re-appointment.

Councilmen Steve Smith, Mike Potter and Gerald Clark and Councilwoman Ronica Ondocsin voted against White.

Smith made the formal motion to nominate Holtcamp for the position. He joined Holcombe, Potter, Clark and Ondocsin in approving Holtcamp for the position, while Overcash and Klein voted nay on the newcomer.

Several of the members of Council, including a few who voted against White, thanked him for his decade of service on the Board.

Overcash noted the difficulty of taking a public stance against colleagues with whom the Council has worked with closely in the past.

“But, I think we do it in the right spirits,” Overcash said.