Lawrence school board member Kay Emerson to resign

Post last updated at 7:55 p.m. Friday, May 26:

Lawrence school board member Kay Emerson is resigning from the board, she announced via Facebook on Friday.

Emerson, who started her term in 2022, was one of three school board members to vote against the closing of Broken Arrow and Pinckney elementary schools this year. 

“Lawrence, I want to say thank you for this time we had together,” Emerson said in a brief statement. “I believe that it was not wasted but a time which will guide us all in the future. As we go forward, start with kindness. Include diverse thoughts and give space for coexistence and opportunity for connectedness.”

Emerson is the second school board member to leave the board in the last year, following Andrew Nussbaum’s departure in July. The board appointed GR Gordon-Ross in August to fill Nussbaum’s seat until January 2024.

Emerson encouraged the Lawrence community to get involved in upcoming elections.

“It does not matter how much or for how long,” Emerson wrote. “It only matters what we do with our actions. It was and will always be an honor to serve this community. Lawrence USD 497 Public Schools’ future is [in] your hands. Choose wisely and vote.”

It was not immediately clear Friday what will come of Emerson’s seat on the seven-member school board and how it will be filled.

The Lawrence school district on Friday evening announced that there will be a special meeting on Wednesday, May 31, but it was not yet clear what time that meeting would occur, and no agenda was available.

The seats of fellow school board members Shannon Kimball, Paula Vann, Erica Hill and Carole Cadue-Blackwood will all be on the ballot in the November election. As of Friday, Cadue-Blackwood was the only one of the four who has filed for reelection. The filing deadline is noon Thursday, June 1.

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