Beth Fletcher, who was elected to the Eden Prairie School Board in Nov. 2020 and elected vice chair, has announced her intention to resign her board seat early this school year due to a move to Atlanta, Georgia.
In her letter to Superintendent Josh Swanson and board members, Fletcher said that “…a very sudden and amazing opportunity was offered to our family and we have accepted.”
Fletcher said her actual resignation date is still up in the air.
“My official last day has yet to be determined,” she said, “as this is all happening very quickly, and we don’t know our moving date. It will be early this school year and submitted to the board for approval. “
In an email dated Aug. 19 accompanying the letter, Fletcher apologized to her colleagues for the sudden resignation.
“The decision was not taken lightly, if you would have asked me 2 weeks ago, I would have told you I was going to live in EP for the rest of my life!” she said. “I know my leaving will create much work for all of you…”
Board Chair Adam Seidel called Fletcher an invaluable contributor to our Board and a natural leader.
“… as Vice Chair, her perspective was of immense value to the whole district and to me personally,” Seidel wrote in email to EPLN. “I congratulate her and her family for the opportunity, but I (am) going to greatly miss her as a leadership collaborator, colleague, and friend.”
Special election
Seidel, who said he learned of Fletcher’s impending resignation on Aug. 19, told EPLN in an Aug. 20 email that he is uncertain about whether Fletcher’s seat can be included in the upcoming Nov. 2 special election to fill another open seat.
“I do not believe state law permits any changes to the structure from this point forward,” he said. “However this news has happened so suddenly that I’m still processing the immediate implications and haven’t yet had the opportunity to do any broader examination of the various options and obligations under state statute.”
The Nov. 2 special election was called to fill the seat vacated by Veronica Stoltz earlier this summer.
Term ends in Jan. 2025
Fletcher joined the board in Jan. 2021, one of three new board members elected the previous November. Her colleagues elected her vice chair at the Jan. 4 organizational meeting. Her term ends in Jan. 2025.
In her letter to the board, Fletcher expressed appreciation for her brief tenure.
“While I am looking forward to this new opportunity, I am very sad to be leaving Eden Prairie and the School Board,” she wrote. “I was extremely humbled by the large number of supporters that voted for me and I encourage them all to continue with their positive support of our schools. Eden Prairie is truly a world-class district.”
The impending resignation is the board’s Aug. 23 agenda.
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