Lawrence school board member Kelly Edelstein resigns
LAWRENCE >> Another Lawrence school board member is stepping down.
Kelly Edelstein, who won election to the Lawrence Township Board of Education last November as the second-highest-votegetter, has resigned for personal reasons, the district announced Friday.
“I am deeply saddened. Unfortunately (this) is the best decision for my family at this time,” Edelstein said Friday about her resignation. “I plan to continue my work in the community through my work with various community organizations, where I hope to be able to make a direct and positive impact on students and families in Lawrence Township.”
Edelstein, who is married to Trentonian columnist Jeff Edelstein, was sworn into office in January and contributed to the school board’s major decision to hire Dr. Ross Kasun as superintendent of schools effective Sept. 1.
“I am grateful to those that elected me to serve,” Kelly Edelstein said Friday in her statement, “and wholeheartedly enjoyed working to represent the public in this position.”
A press release issued Friday by the school district said the Board of Education “appreciates and thanks Edelstein for her service to the students, staff and residents of the Lawrence community.”
Edelstein is the second Lawrence school board member to call it quits in 2018. Former board member Jose “Max” Ramos resigned in January for personal reasons and was replaced by appointed board member Dana Drake.
The school board is expected to appoint a new member to fill Edelstein’s vacancy on Nov. 14.
Any eligible township resident interested in filling Edelstein’s vacancy should submit their résumé or letter of interest with background information to Lawrence Public Schools Board Secretary Thomas Eldridge by Friday, Nov. 9.
Someone who loses the Nov. 6 Lawrence school board election could potentially be appointed as Edelstein’s successor on Nov. 14. Drake was a seated school board member who lost re-election last November only to get appointed back onto the board days after Ramos resigned.