The school board hopes to fill the vacancy in September and plans to advertise for candidates soon.
By Allison Busacca
Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education member Steven Wood officially resigned from the board on Monday night, saying he needs to spend more time with his family and on his job.
The school board hopes to fill the vacancy in September and plans to advertise for candidates soon.
Mr. Wood, who held Hopewell Borough’s one seat on the board, was elected to a second three-year term in April. He was the board’s vice president.
On Monday, the board picked Hopewell Township member Kim Newport as vice president until April 2005.
"Making this decision has left an empty feeling in the bottom of my stomach," Mr. Wood said. "Coming into this job, I knew I would need to find a balance between my love for working with the board and my professional and family responsibilities. Right now I am out of balance."
In a June 29 letter to the other members of the board, Mr. Wood said: "I ran for the board because I believe in the value of public service. I felt that as a businessman and a committed member of the community I could make an important contribution to Hopewell Valley."
Many of the board members agreed, saying he brought a high standard of ethics to the board and a sense of humor to heavy moments.
"It was a pleasure to have your energy and insight on the board," board President Bill Hills told Mr. Wood. "You were a tremendous inspiration to all of us."
Mr. Wood said his only regret was that he could not fill out the remainder of the term.
"I can still remember reading in the newspaper that the incumbent was not running. I had never set foot into any of the schools, but I jumped into the fray, and I loved it," he said.
Mr. Hills said the board intends to advertise soon for candidates to replace Mr. Wood and hopes to appoint his replacement by the Sept. 20 meeting. However, the board has until Oct. 4 to choose a candidate. The appointee will serve until next April’s school election.
In order to become a candidate for Mr. Wood’s vacant seat, Hopewell Borough residents must be registered voters in the district, citizens of the United States, at least 18, and residents of Hopewell Borough for at least one year preceding the date of the election.
Interested residents are invited to submit letters of application, which include their qualifications, resumes, and reasons for wanting to become a board member to John Nemeth, Board Secretary, Mr. Hills said. Mr. Nemeth’s address is: Hopewell Valley Regional School District, 425 S. Main St., Pennington, 08534.
The Personnel Committee will screen the applications and recommend candidates to be interviewed by the board at a special meeting.
When elected to the Hopewell seat in April, Mr. Wood defeated opponents Edward Meredith Jr. and Ben Primer. Hopewell Borough has just one seat on the nine-member school board.