New ballots in school board vote swing 1 seat

New ballots that have been counted in Tuesday's English School Board vote have swung a seat away from Wade Smith, anadvocate for the Whitbourne school.

The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD) said late Wednesday afternoon that another poll has been counted in Zone 12. Hayward Blake has been declared the winner.

Earlier reports saidWade Smith, an advocate to save Whitbourne Elementary, had defeated incumbent board chair Milton Peach in the contested race.

But according to Ken Morrissey, a spokesperson for the board, a review of the vote on Wednesday found an additional poll that was missed in the original count.

As a result, Blake, a town councillor in Harbour Grace, has been elected.

According to his candidate profile, Blake was principal at Ascension Collegiatein Bay Roberts for more than a decade, and has worked with the former Eastern and Avalon West School Districts.

Big swingin last poll

The results in the additional poll were heavily tilted towards Blake.

In the morning, the NLESDreported that Smith led Blake 653 to 486.

But Blake made up the difference with the additional votes, and now leads Smith 784-678.

• FULL RESULTS: Newfoundland and Labrador English School District board election

"I'm obviously quite happy," Blake told CBC News on Wednesday night.

Blake said he did a lot of campaigning, andit was disappointing to think he was not able to win the vote, but he was ready to congratulate the winners and accept the results.

"When I got up this morningand realized I had below 500, it was like, 'Hmm, that doesn't seem quite right.'But, I guess, I've been mistaken before in political counts and I said, 'Oh well, I gave it a good shot.'"

Future of Whitbourneon the table: Blake

Blake says he has yet to take a position on the future of Whitbourne Elementary. School board trustees previously voted to close the school at the end of the school year.

He said he did not want to "prejudge anything," addingthat the future of the school had to be dealt with "in a fair and reasonable manner."

Blake did say, though, that the controversial secret ballot process that was used to schedule the school for closure should be scrapped.

"At this time in Newfoundland's present, we need a voice for education. I'm a lifelong educator, and that's what's important in my life."