Wilson Officially Declines Board of Education Seat

Joshua Wilson, who was , on Thursday submitted to the Lawrence Township Board of Education a formal letter declining the seat, school board President Laura Waters confirmed on Friday (April 20).  

Wilson was one of three candidates to compete for the open board seat.

But in the days leading up to last week’s election, Wilson notified the school district and local media outlets via email that he wished to withdraw from the election due to “an unforeseen personal obligation.”

But because he did not withdraw from the race by the March 5 deadline set by the state, his name remained on the April 17 ballot.

When the votes were tallied last Tuesday evening, Wilson was the winner. With absentee ballots not yet counted that night, Wilson got 925 votes, while Delores B. Reid received 883 votes and Murali Aiyar earned 715 votes.

Although Wilson has now officially declined the position, the seat does not automatically go to Reid as runner-up.

Instead, by law, the school board must appoint someone to fill the seat until the next election in April 2013, when voters can officially choose someone to serve out the remaining year of the term, according to Waters.

She said the school board will have to advertise the opening, accept resumes from anyone interested in filling the position, conduct interviews with the candidates, and then appoint someone to serve until next April.

The timetable for that appointment process will likely be discussed when the school board holds its reorganization meeting this Wednesday, April 25, at 7 p.m. in the library of the high school.