On Friday, April 2, Sarah Foreman submitted her resignation as President of the USD 480 Board of Education to Superintendent Renae Hickert effective immediately. Foreman has served as the board president since January.
"I truly enjoyed my time on the board of education," said Foreman. "I am a service minded person and this position allowed me to serve my community and advocate for students and teachers."
“Sarah has tremendous passion for the health, education and well-being of children. Her commitment to children was evident in her service to the district as a board member and as president,” said Hickert.
"When I started in Jan 2020, there were 3 other BOE newbies. Little did we know the chaos that was about to erupt," said Foreman. "Since last March I think the blend of perspectives helped us make good decisions in light of difficult times. Not perfect by any stretch, but we worked well together."
After a her husband started a new job in Hugoton, Foreman and her family decided it was time to make the move together.
"We purchased a home there and closing happened very fast. I had intended to stay on through IBB negotiations, but being back and forth between the two homes was causing some tension.," said Foreman.
“Mrs. Foreman was a strong advocate for all students and was particularly passionate about the needs of marginalized students and students with disabilities. We appreciate her leadership on the board,” said Dr. Todd Carter, Deputy Superintendent.
Resolution 04.05.2021, that authorizes the board clerk, Jerry Clay, to notify the public of the vacancy in the Leader & Times, was passed unanimously. Once the resolution is published, the board of education must wait 15 days after the publication date to take any formal action in accordance with K.S.A. 25-2022.
K.S.A. 25-2022 authorizes the Board of Education to fill the vacancy left by any board member who does not complete their term; however they see fit, until the next election cycle.
The board decided to open the vacant board position to interested community members via an application process. Application process and due dates will be announced at a later date.
Alan Brown motioned to name current board vice president, Stewart Cauble, as the new board president, Naomi Vargas as new vice president, and Mike Brack to fill the seat on the IBB/negotiation team, left vacant by Foreman’s departure. Motion passed 6-0.
“We are headed in a great direction as a direction as a district,” said Cauble. “I’ve been president and vice president before so it isn’t an unfamiliar role for me.”
"Moving forward, I hope to still be a partner to 480 through my work with LACF. Over the last several years, we have worked to built a very strong partnership between the two entities," said Foreman. "Communities are always better together. My desire to assist 480 with their district goals has not ended."
“I hate to see Sarah leave, she is a great board member and did a lot for the community,” said Cauble. “She did some great things while on the board and we’ll continue on track. We have a great board with some great perspectives."