School Board Vice President Announces Resignation

Lower Merion School Board of School Directors Vice President Linda Doucette-Ashman announced her resignation from the board through Board President David Ebby at the Sept. 20 board meeting.

Doucette-Ashman is moving to Scarsdale, NY, according to Ebby, and the board accepted her resignation, effective Oct. 1.

The school board has executive power to choose a replacement board member within 30 days of the resignation, Ebby said. Applications for the position will be available on the school district's website, www.lmsd.org, up until Oct. 14. The replacement chosen will serve the remainder of Doucette-Ashman's term, which will expire in 13 months.

The board plans on selecting at most five candidates to interview for the position in a special public meeting on Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m., Ebby said. The school board will then deliberate and pick a replacement.

"All of it takes place in public, the interviews will be in public and there will be a vote to fill the vacancy," Ebby said.

More information on the application process can be obtained by calling School Board Secretary Fran Keaveney at 610-645-1930.

Doucette-Ashman began serving on the school board in December of 2007, and told Ebby to express her thanks in her absence at the Sept. 20 meeting to the faculty and staff of Welsh Valley Middle School and Harriton High School.

"We are all going to miss Linda greatly," Ebby said. "She is honest, decent and very hard working. Linda and I didn't always agree on items that came before the school board, but I always knew she would be civil, honest, and if she felt I was wrong, she would say it right to my face. I appreciated that honesty."

"I also want to thank Linda and her family and I hope eveyrthting goes well for her and her boys in Scarsdale," Lower Merion School District Superintendent Chris McGinley said.