MERIDIAN, Idaho — West Ada School Board Chairman Rusty Coffelt resigned from his position Monday morning, writing in a letter to the superintendent that he was stepping down to attend to "personal family matters."
Coffelt's resignation is effective immediately, he wrote.
"There is no greater privilege than the opportunity to serve others. I feel very fortunate to have been appointed to the Board of Trustees in January of 2021, and have been honored to work alongside the amazing students, families, staff, administration, and my fellow trustees in a collaborative effort to provide the highest quality educational experience possible," he wrote.
Coffelt, the former Eagle Fire chief, was elevated to the chair position in January, one year after joining the board. His term had been set to run through 2024.
Board members in West Ada, as in other school districts across the state, have been tasked with contentious decisions and faced the ire of parents and educators as they sought to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
The chairman did not elaborate on his reasons for stepping down, but noted that family matters will take him outside of Idaho.
"I find myself sad that I am cutting short the opportunity to work alongside such amazing people, but also filled with great optimism for the future of this school district," he wrote. "The District and community will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity that my family and I were given."
The search for a new trustee to take Coffelt's place is expected to begin immediately.
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