Decatur County Board of Education member Clarissa Kendrick has resigned from the board, effective June 30. Kendrick represented District 1, which includes the Attapulgus area.

In a letter addressed to board chairman Dr. Sydney Cochran, and provided to The Post-Searchlight, Kendrick said, “For the past years, I have felt very uncomfortable as a member of the board exercising my rights to speak out.” Kendrick was unavailable for further comment.

“Mrs. Kendrick was a devoted member of this board for a long time,” Cochran said. “Her goal was to always to do the right things for the school system with the best interest of our kids in mind. We wish her the best.”

Kendrick sat on the board for 19 years, after a 45-year teaching career.

“I appreciate Mrs. Kendrick’s 19 years of service on the board and, beyond that, her years of service as an educator,” said school superintendent Dr. Fred Rayfield. “She is a genuine advocate for the people in her district and has a genuine caring for the children in our system.”

Kendrick did not file for re-election in District 1. That seat on the board will be decided in the non-partisan election on July 31, with Kelvin Bouie and Debbie Elkins on the ballot.

Rayfield indicated that, in an effort to fill the unexpired term left by Kendrick, the board would appoint the winner of the election to the board to immediately begin serving in August. Then, either Bouie or Elkins would begin the regular four-year term in January 2013.