By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
Cabot School Board member Ken Kincade resigned at a special board meeting Tuesday evening so his wife could take a job as school nurse.
Kincade said in a letter to the board that his wife, Amanda, has for many years wanted to work for the school district, but state law wouldn’t allow it because he was on the board.
When a school-nurse position came open at Central Elementary, she applied and was offered the position.
The district requested a waiver from the state that would allow her to accept the job while he remained on the school board. But with only one week left before school starts and no response from the state about the waiver request, time was running out.
Kincade said in his letter that it had been a family decision for him to run for school board.
“Serving on a local school board is the ultimate role of public service. I’ve loved every moment of my role as director for the past four years of my life,” Kincade said.
But with time running out for his wife to accept the job at Central Elementary, he said, “I need to take a step back and do what is best for my immediate family. In this situation, resigning as a member of the Cabot School Board and allowing Amanda to work with the children of our district is most important.”
Since the deadline for filing for the school board has closed for the upcoming election, the board appointed Dr. Brenda Thielemier to serve in Kincade’s position until September 2012 when that position can be filled by an election.
Thielemier was elected to the board in 2002 and served one term until 2007. This will be her second time to fill a vacated position. She also completed a three-month term for Brooks Nash who died in 2009.
Thielemier, a chiropractor, has lived in Cabot since 1994. She has one child in the district.
In other business, the board increased the minimum wage paid to hourly workers from $7.59 to $7.74.
The board also increased the amount paid to bus drivers for trips from $8 an hour to $8.50.
