Judging by the crowd at last Thursday’s meet and greet at Oconee Brewing for Dr. Otho Tucker and Maggie Combs, the next Board of Education election going to voters in April and May next year will be a challenging one.

Dr. Brad Bowling, upper school director at Lake Oconee Academy, will become the executive director of LOA effective July 1. The LOA Board of Governors voted Monday night to offer Bowling a two-year contract for the top position at the Greene County charter school.

At its June 16 meeting, the Greene County Board of Education did not act on the latest legal settlement offer from Lake Oconee Academy. Two days earlier, on June 14, the Lake Oconee Academy Board of Governors approved a proposed resolution it said was based on an agreement made during talks between LOA CEO Otho Tucker and Greene County School Superintendent Chris Houston.