New pick for Wake school board withdraws after residency status questioned

Craston Artis has abandoned his appointment to the Wake County school board amid questions about whether he was eligible to hold the seat.

The school board had voted Jan. 14 to appoint Artis to the vacant District 4 seat that represents much of Southeast Raleigh. But the board had canceled the swearing-in ceremony and scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday to review documentation Artis had provided about his residency.

Artis provided documentation this week that shows he planned to move into his new Raleigh apartment earlier this month but didn’t do so until after he was appointed. But his estranged wife, Rebecca Jackson-Artis, said in an interview Saturday that her husband is no longer a Wake County resident and has lived with his parents in Goldsboro since April.

“In light of political concerns from a small group of citizens, I have reconsidered this as the proper time to seek appointment to the school board,” Artis wrote in the email Saturday to school board chairwoman Lindsay Mahaffey. “I have also found myself in the middle of personal attacks from someone close to me.

“That said, I submit this as the official notice of withdrawal of my name from appointment to the school board at this time. I appreciate you and the board for all the work you do for the young people of Wake County Schools.”

Mahaffey said the board will still meet Tuesday to discuss how to fill the opening.