New South Range BOE member resigns; board will reopen process

NORTH LIMA — The South Range Board of Education accepted the resignation of recently appointed board member Amy White.

The move comes after The Vindicator's Attorney, Atty. Dave Marburger, said he believed her appointment violated Ohio's sunshine laws.

"It would appear that my appointment to the board of education has become a source of unwelcome controversy," White's resignation letter states. "In order to prevent the unnecessary expenditure of district funds on litigation, which I'm convinced the district could win, is my decision to resign from the board of education effective immediately."

That letter was read Tuesday morning after a 30-minute executive session during a special meeting of the South Range board of education. White's letter said that she would re-apply for her vacancy. She was unanimously selected at the March 16 board meeting and the meeting started with a gold and black metallic nameplate already made with her name on it prior to a public vote.

Ralph Wince, board president, explained the board will take applications for White's vacancy through April 10 and then interview candidates the week of April 13. The next South Range Board of Education meeting is Monday, April 20.

Britton was at Tuesday's meeting, and he told The Vindicator Monday afternoon that the board did nothing wrong.

"I can say with confidence that there was no violation of the Sunshine Law in the Board's original selection of Ms. White, which was done in open session by the unanimous vote by the board," Wince said in a release.

"In fairness, Ms. White's resignation will allow the Board to follow its current policy of interviewing all interested candidates which we inadvertently [overlooked] in making the original selection. We are not afraid to say when we were wrong."

Resident Richard Ferenchak, who first questioned the board not following its own board policy, was at Tuesday's 7 a.m. special meeting.