Stacey Thornberry is now a former member of the Walton-Verona Board of Education after her letter of resignation was accepted on Thursday.
Thornberry was not present at the meeting. The board members accepted her resignation July 21 without discussion and without announcing which member was resigning.
Thornberry did not give a reason for resigning in her letter, but property records show that Thornberry purchased a home outside of the Walton-Verona school district.
According to Kentucky School Board Association attorneys, Thornberry could still serve on the board as long as she resided in the district, even if she owns property elsewhere. She did not respond to requests for an interview to clarify whether she had moved out of the district.
If an elected board member moves out of the area they represent and refuses to resign, the Attorney General’s office has the power to remove them, KSBA said.
In her letter to Superintendent Matt Baker, she said she was out of the country in recent weeks. When she returned, she delivered her resignation on Thursday, July 14, offering Baker her and the district her best wishes.
“My heart will always be a Bearcat,” she wrote.
The board now has 60 days to open up the position to applicants and find a replacement board member, according to Kentucky law.
Megan Jones, chair of the board, said Thornberry leaves behind a 15-year service to the school district.
“That I’m thankful for her service because she has been with the district for 15 years in many different roles,” Jones said, adding that Thornberry had served on the Parent-Teacher Association, and volunteered in other roles before serving on the board for the last three and a half years.
Thornberry was last elected in 2019, meaning the person who will serve in her place will serve until January, when the newly elected member of the board will be sworn in.
