School District of the Chathams Board of Education Vice President Lora Yates announced Monday she will soon reluctantly step down from the board.
The four-year board member said she is moving to the Midwestern United States, and will step down from the board after its next meeting on Feb. 8. She said in a prepared statement delivered at the meeting that while she had envisioned her children graduating from the Chatham school system, the economy had tossed her a curveball.
Yates ran for the two-year seat in 2006 and had anticipated a loss—she felt she was merely running to gain experience. She was instead elected. She drew laughter from her colleagues, saying she was unaware of the school district's history of uncontested elections at the time.
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She said that she was proud to have been mentored by past district presidents Eileen Miele Coppola, Richard Ford and Steve Lubiak. She quickly learned the district was fortunate to have a strong and tireless superintendent in James O'Neill, she said. Yates also acknowledged Board Secretary Ralph Goodwin, Assistant Superintendent Anne Dudley and Special Services Director Dr. Harold Tariff.
"They are among the finest in New Jersey public education," she said. "Over the past year, since my children have enrolled in kindergarten, I've also learned first hand about the talented teachers, aides, nurses and the incredible parents and their commitment."
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Yates drew a warm response from the board and audience members when she described how she told her five-year old daughter she was leaving.
She said she told the girl mommy would be spending more time at home. The child looked at her "in amazement and disgust," Yates said, and then exclaimed, "You lost your job?"
Yates attributed the child's quick reasoning to her fine Chatham education.
She said she would not be leaving the area immediately, and expressed an interest in joining the audience at the board's March 1 meeting. At that meeting, a demographic consultant is scheduled to speak about the future growth of the school district.
