Two members of the Coeur d'Alene School Board announced their resignations Friday, effective immediately.
The decisions from board chair Jennifer Brumley and trustee Tambra Pickford came a week after a scheduled board meeting that was to have considered a mask requirement for schools. That meeting was cancelled after angry anti-mask protestors showed up. In a September 28 letter to parents, Brumley wrote that she was concerned about her own safety and the safety of others at the meeting.
In statements released by the Coeur d'Alene school district, neither Brumley nor Pickford cited the intense atmosphere around COVID-19 precautions as a factor in their resignations.
“It has been my honor to represent this community and serve our students, families and educators as a member of the Coeur d’Alene School Board these past three years,” Brumley said. “Although my term will end this December, I have decided to leave the board early to focus on professional and family priorities."
"Regrettably I must step down from the Board of Trustees," Pickford said. "I no longer am able to devote the considerable amount of time that this position requires." Her term was set to expire in 2023.
Neither Brumley nor Pickford was available for interviews Friday.
The resignations will be sumbitted to the Coeur d'Alene School Board at its regular meeting, Monday, October 4. Brumley's successor will be chosen in a November election. Pickford's successor will be named by the board and serve the remainder of her term.
