Cassopolis Public Schools Board of Education President Christine Locke resigned Monday evening, citing medical reasons.

During the regular meeting of the board, Locke issued a statement saying she was resigning, effectively immediately, as board president and wishing luck to the board and school district. Locke, who has served as president on the board of education for more than 20 years, said, while the decision was difficult to make, it had become necessary.

“It’s due to medical reasons,” Locke said, declining to comment further with details. “Doctors have been asking me for more than four months, and I kept saying, ‘one more month, one more month.’”

Locke said she has been considering her resignation for some time now.
“I have mixed emotions,” Locke said. “It’s not something I really wanted to do.”

The issue of Locke’s successor will be discussed at the board’s reorganizational meeting July 9.

For Locke, the resignation hasn’t yet hit her.

“As a board, we’ve had a lot of challenges, but I wish them the best for the future,” Locke said. “It hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Candidates interested in the position will be expected to fill the vacancy from July 1 until the Nov. 6 general election. The position will be on the ballot with a term running through November 2014. Applications for the position are available at www.cassopolis.k12.mi.us.

Candidates will attend a special board meeting 7 p.m. July 16 for brief interviews.
The new board member will be sworn into office at the meeting.

The July 9 reorganizational meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Ross Beatty Junior/Senior High School.