Kelly Scott steps down from Fairfield school board

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Community School District is seeking nominees who are willing to serve on the school board for a couple of months until the November election.

Fairfield Community School District Board of Directors member Kelly Scott stepped down at the end of July. The board is looking to fill Scott’s position as soon as possible, and must do so within 30 days by Iowa code.

Whoever the board appoints will start immediately and remain on the board until the Nov. 7 election. At that election, voters will decide on a candidate to serve out the remaining two years of Scott’s term. The newly elected school board member will assume their responsibilities immediately and begin serving on the board at its regular meeting in November.

Fairfield Schools Interim Superintendent Stephanie Mishler said that the newly appointed school board member would be responsible for attending the board’s regular monthly meetings and its monthly work sessions. The board occasionally calls special meetings to discuss an urgent subject, too.

To qualify for the school board, interested applicants must be a citizen residing in the district, be an eligible voter, and be free from any financial conflict of interest. Residents who wish to know more can contact Mishler via email at stephanie.mishler@fairfieldsfuture.org, or reach out to the district’s business manager Evan Marten at evan.marten@fairfieldsfuture.org. They can also call the central office at 641-472-2655.

During the school board meeting on July 17, Scott announced that he was stepping down from the board because he and his wife, Toni, are moving to England after Toni got a job as a special elementary education teacher at Royal Air Force Lakenheath. He said this fulfills a dream the couple had to get back with the Department of Defense.

“If anybody is interested in buying a house across from Chautauqua Park, talk to me,” Scott said at the meeting.

Scott said he enjoyed his six years as a school board member, but he had mixed feelings about certain experiences.

“We’ve had a lot of things going on in this community that I wish we didn’t have to discuss, and that’s from pandemics to everything else,” he said. “But I have to say that, though I worked in another district [Ottumwa], I chose to live here. I’m going to miss the Fairfield community, and I know my wife is. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve on this board for six years.”

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com