Warsaw School Board will have to find another person from District 3 to serve on the board after recently-elected Mallika Klingaman decided to move out of that district.
A statement from Warsaw Community Schools Board of Trustees, provided by Board President Heather Reichenbach on Thursday, says, “We understand that public service opportunities can arise unexpectedly, and the timing of these opportunities is often unpredictable. With Mallika’s decision to move, she finds herself in the difficult position of being unable to serve as she had hoped. As a result, Mallika decided to withdraw as a trustee-elect.
“A recent graduate of the Tiger Ambassadors program, Mallika generously dedicates her time and talents to Warsaw Community Schools. Whether supporting her children’s classrooms, serving on various school committees, or contributing to other community organizations, Mallika’s commitment to children and her community is unwavering. While she will not serve on the school board, we are confident that Mallika will continue to play an invaluable role in supporting our schools, our staff and, importantly, our students, in many other ways.”
District 3 Board member Elle Turley just completed her second term on the board and did not seek re-election for another four-year term.
Klingaman filed to replace Turley on the board in May and was unopposed in the November election.
The email from Reichenbach also states the board will begin the process to fill the vacancy for District 3 starting Jan. 1.
This is not the first time the Warsaw School Board of Trustees has had to fill a vacancy.
In September 2016, after five years on the board, Board President Jennifer Tandy announced her official resignation effective Oct. 1, 2016, as she and her husband Brad were moving to San Diego for Brad’s new job.
Kent Adams was elected to the school board for District 4 but resigned with a year left on his term to serve as the Winona Lake clerk-treasurer. He was elected to the board in November 2008. After reviewing applications and having interviews of the two candidates who filed, the school board chose Christie Gale to finish out Adams’ term. In the next election, current District 4 Board member Randy Polston won the seat.