BRATTLEBORO-After serving two years of her three-year term on the Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) school board, Dummerston representative Eva Nolan has resigned.
"I have made the difficult decision to resign from WSESD so that voters can have ample time to choose their representative for the rest of the year," Nolan wrote in her resignation letter, effective Jan. 1. "I genuinely feel that under the current board structure there isn't a clear path toward meaningful progress."
Asked to further explain her words, Nolan declined, saying, "right now, I don't have any additional comments beyond my statement."
Nolan writes in her resignation letter that her focus "will now shift to my family and career.
"I am deeply grateful to the voters who entrusted me with the opportunity to initiate changes," she writes. "It's my hope that my departure will open the door for the next leader to foster real advancements. We truly need a board that prioritizes effective governance."
In a letter submitted to The Commons [see Voices, this issue], board colleague Tim Maciel praised Nolan, saying, "she balanced careful scrutiny of spending with a deep commitment to addressing systemic issues and reshaping institutional culture. Her efforts consistently pushed us to strive for continuous improvement and safe and inclusive school environments."
The WSESD board must appoint a Dummerston resident to replace Nolan by Feb. 5. Anyone interested in the seat should contact WSESD Board Chair Deborah Stanford at [email protected].
Any Dummerston resident wishing to seek election to the seat can do so in the March 4 annual election. Anyone wishing to run for the one year remaining on Nolan's term can get a petition form from the Dummerston Town Clerk's office.
Petitions require 30 signatures of registered Dummerston voters, or 1% of same, whichever number is fewer. Petitions must be returned by 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27.
Other board races
Registered voters of all WSESD member towns - Dummerston, Brattleboro, Guilford, and Putney - will vote to elect board members on Tuesday, March 4.
In addition to Nolan's leaving, Guilford representative Shaun Murphy has announced he will not seek re-election.
Both Deborah Stanford and representative Matt Schibley, of Brattleboro, have filed to run for re-election to their respective seats. They are as yet unchallenged.
The full term for the three seats is three years.
For more information on running for this year's open school board seats in the Windham Southeast School District, contact:
• Hilary Francis, Brattleboro Town Clerk: [email protected]
• Laurie Frechette, Dummerston Town Clerk: [email protected]
• Danielle Latulippe, Guilford Town Clerk: [email protected]
This News item by Virginia Ray was written for The Commons.