Thomas resigns from Evergreen school board

Evergreen school board member Troy Thomas has announced his resignation, citing the demands of family and career.

Thomas was appointed to the five-member board in 2004. He was re-elected in 2005 and 2009.

“I need a break for career and family,” Thomas, an information technology manager, said after Tuesday’s school board meeting.

“I’m a single dad with two boys, and my kids are getting older. And, my career is extremely demanding,” Thomas said. He added that 12- and 13-hour days at work are typical.

Thomas just finished a stint as board president.

“He came to this board with no agenda, just to do the right thing for kids,” said board member Victoria Bradford.

The resignation will become official at the Jan. 10 board meeting when Superintendent John Deeder accepts Thomas’ letter of resignation.

The resignation will leave a vacancy in Director District 1, which is in the northwest corner of the Evergreen school district.

Information on the vacancy will be posted on the district’s website, http://www.evergreenps.org/Pages/default.aspx.

A map of the current director districts is at http://www.evergreenps.org/AboutEPS/Pages/SchoolBoard.aspx.

However, those boundaries are no longer considered official; the boundaries will be redrawn according to population figures reported in the 2010 Census.

The district will accept applications for the spot. The four remaining board members will review the applications and then interview some or all of the candidates in public at a board meeting.

At the following meeting, the board will appoint the new member.

The whole process “will take a couple of months,” Deeder said.

The position includes compensation of $50 a day per meeting or board-approved event, up to $4,800 a year; some board members don’t claim compensation.