South Portland Board of Education member Elyse Tipton has resigned to run for the District 5 City Council seat this November.
Her resignation takes effect Nov. 1. As of Thursday, she had yet to file nomination papers as a council candidate. The deadline for all candidates to file is Sept. 8.
Tipton, who has served on the board since 2016, is ending her current three-year term a year early to vie for the seat now held by Councilor Deqa Dahlac.
“By making my resignation known at this time, and effective before the November election, I hope to provide ample time for another passionate resident of District 5 to gather the necessary signatures to be on the upcoming ballot, ensuring a smooth and democratic transition of leadership at the school board inauguration on December 4,” she wrote in her resignation letter dated Aug. 8. “I thank my fellow voters for the privilege of serving on the South Portland Board of Education, and I look forward to continuing to be part of growth, change, and shared prosperity in our beautiful community.”
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to make nomination papers available for the 1-year District 5 school board seat. Other openings on the board this November are two at-large seats with three-year terms and a one-year District 3 seat.
Other positions up for grabs are the Districts 1, 2, 4 & 5 seats on the City Council and the Districts 3 and 5, and two at-large, seats on the Board of Education. The District 4 Council, and Districts 3 and 5 Board seats are unexpired terms that end in Dec. 2024, while the rest are full, three-year terms.
For more information on the November election, how to take out nomination papers, or how to vote, visit southportland.org and navigate to the Elections & Voter Registration.
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