Baltimore County’s school board voted Tuesday night to remove the word "acting" from Verletta White’s title and make it just Superintendent of Schools.

Now, White, who has been acting superintendent for nearly a year, says it’s time to hit the reset button and begin working to restore people’s faith in the county school system.

"I know it’s going to take some time to rebuild and restore trust in the eyes of some," she said. "Not the majority, but still I value the opinions of everyone."

The board was divided 8-4 over hiring her.

Board member Ann Miller called White unqualified because of ethics violations lodged against her. White failed to report money she earned as a consultant. She has said that was an honest mistake and promised not to accept any more outside work.

Miller also challenged White’s record, arguing that she "oversaw the grading policy changes, which are resulting in students not being held accountable for mastery, yet being marched across the graduation stage unprepared for both college and career."

Other board members, as well as members of the public, saw the vote as a rush job, saying there should be a nationwide search for a new superintendent.

Kevin Leary, a Perry Hall resident who also is running for the House of Delegates as a Republican, told the board White may be suited for the job, but they still needed to conduct a full search.

"If you’re running a business you don’t pick the first person you see," he said. "You do interviews. That’s what we need to do."

Board members had agreed two weeks ago to start a nationwide search for a new superintendent, working against a state-mandated deadline of July 1. Tuesday’s vote made that moot.

Woodlawn High School parent Ricardo Ramsey told the board White enjoys widespread support and that a nationwide search would be a waste of money.

"Why go out and spend that money unnecessarily when you have somebody who is truly, truly committed to the kids of Baltimore County," he said.

Board vice chairman Nick Stewart said there could be no better tryout than what White has done since taking over after Dallas Dance’s resignation last April.

"I can say confidently that Ms. White is a leader," he said. "She is a bridge builder. She is a problem solver. She sets a vision and she executes with grit and with grace."

Dance pleaded guilty in March to four counts of perjury for lying about $147,000 in consulting fees he earned while superintendent, including money from a company he helped win a no-bid contract with the school system.

Given Dance’s guilty plea and her own ethical lapses, White says she knows that people who trusted Baltimore County Schools have been hurt and the first step in rebuilding their trust is to acknowledge that.

"Step two is to make a commitment toward making sure that we rebuild trust through the continuous promise that we will invest our time and energy in children," she said.

Now that she has the job for keeps, White says she will maintain stability in the county school system. And even though her position might have been tenuous, she says she was always playing the long game.

"I never looked at this in the short term," she said. "So when it comes to literacy and our focus on school climate, those are my long term goals."

White, who grew up going to Baltimore County schools and has worked in the system for more than two decades, will begin negotiating a contract, probably for four years, with the board.

And while the board split on making her the superintendent, it voted unanimously to denounce her predecessor’s actions.