Yesterday, James Fraasch announced his resignation from the Mt. Lebanon School Board. Writing on his new blog,
Politics, Policies, Government, and Economics, he elaborated:
It's been a good run, but it is time for me to move on from the Mt. Lebanon School Board. In the past few months I have missed some meetings due mostly to travel out of the country. More often than not I find myself putting an emphasis more on my personal/work life than I am on the school board. For most of my 3 years on the Board the exact opposite was the case.
Mr. Fraasch wrote that he intends to “move on to different things,” starting with more extensive travel to South America and getting an MBA.
But also among his reasons for moving on is the sense that the school board is unwilling to consider concerns he has raised. One such concern was the solicitor’s contract, extended recently, despite the school district’s embarrassing loss of the recent zoning appeal. Mr. Fraasch wrote that he received no response when he emailed the other board members about not extending the contract.
Despite the difficulties, he was glad to have served:
One last thing. I have to say that being elected to serve on the Board was perhaps the most humbling experience in my life. I never took your votes for granted. In the end I hope those that voted for me will always be able to say that I followed through on every one of my campaign promises: fiscal responsibility, open and honest communication, and new ideas.
On a personal note, I’d like to thank James Fraasch for his service. He was willing to take difficult stands, to say things that were unpopular yet needed to be said, and to think critically about decisions and their long-term consequences. Doing these things was not easy and often earned him unkind words from those who disagreed with him. Yet James carried those burdens to serve us.
Thank you, James.
Update 2010-12-16 10:45
School Board President Josephine Posti has written briefly on her blog about Mr. Fraasch’s resignation:
Board Member Resignation. She also writes that the school district is now seeking Mr. Fraasch’s replacement:
According to the school code, we must appoint someone to fill his position within 30 days. We have advertised the vacancy and ask for applicants to respond by December 24. We will then conduct interviews during a special public meeting on January 3. We will take action on an appointment at the January 10 Discussion Meeting.
Filling Mr. Fraasch’s shoes will be difficult. Let’s hope some good citizens step forward.
Update 2010-12-16 11:45, 12:20, and 16:45
Additional coverage:
Labels: james fraasch, mt. lebanon school board
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