School Board Member Michelle Shelton Resigns
There are now seven people running for three available Board of Education seats, with the August 10 resignation of Board member Michelle Shelton.
The Board accepted Shelton’s resignation at its August 12 meeting.
Shelton, whose first term ends at the end of this year, said she resigned because she has moved out of the township.
Shelton was one of three incumbents who had filed to retain their seats in the November 3 election. Other incumbents running are Nisihita Desai and Michael T. Smith.
“I appreciate my time on the board,” Shelton said during the board’s August 12 meeting. “I wish I could fill out my entire term.”
“The experience was priceless,” said Shelton, who participated in the meeting remotely. “You guys are doing a tremendous job, and I wish you the best.”
Shelton was a stealth candidate when she ran in 2017. She did little overt campaigning, and joined the board as somewhat of a mystery.
Board members said Shelton, who at the time of her election was a school administrator in New Brunswick, showed herself to be a hard worker and someone interested in Franklin’s students.
“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done,” board president Nancy LaCorte told Shelton. “I wish you well in your future.”
“I’m going to miss having you because you spoke from your heart,” Desai told Shelton. “I learned so much from you.”
“It was a wonderful time having you on the board,” Board vice president Ardaman Singh told Shelton. “We achieved things together as a team, and I appreciate that.”
The Board has 65 days to interview candidates and name a replacement for Shelton for the duration of her term, which ends December 31.