For the third time in less than a year, the Clarke County Board of Education has a vacancy. District 2 board member Frances Berry resigned on Friday, citing personal reasons. On Sunday, Berry told Flagpole Magazine that she was "not cut out for the stress of politics."
Her resignation is effective immediately.
Berry was appointed in February to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Vernon Payne. The board of education approved her appointment by a 6 - 2 vote. She was one of three candidates to apply for the vacancy.
Berry was not known as one of the more outspoken members of the Board, but generally sided with a bloc of board members considered to be less supportive of superintendent Demond Means. Tensions between Means and some board members have risen in recent months, with ethics complaints being filed against Means as well as against members of the board.
In October, Berry was one of six board members to vote against Means' proposal to spend 7 million dollars on a Milledge Avenue property to serve as a new district headquarters. However, in July, Berry was one of seven board members who voted to extend Means' contract through the 2021 - 2022 school year.
Berry's term, which expires on December 31, 2020, will be filled by an appointment from the Board of Education. The Board has not yet announced the dates of the application process. District 2 covers a portion of northeastern Clarke County, including the Oak Street, Peter Street, and Vine Street area, extending to the county line north of Winterville.
