A resident recently elected to the Kenai Peninsula School District Board of Education will not be taking her seat.

Martha Fleming, who was elected in October in an uncontested race to represent the eastern peninsula, will not be serving on the school board this year due to “unfortunate circumstances,” school board President Penny Vadla said.

Fleming was absent from Monday’s school board meeting, during which newly elected members took their oath of office. Vadla said during the meeting that Fleming would not be taking the oath. In a Wednesday phone call, Fleming told the Clarion her reason for stepping down was personal, but that she would still like to serve residents of the eastern Kenai Peninsula on the school board in the future.

The school board will be tasked with appointing a new person to fill the district 6 seat, which was most recently held by Lynn Hohl of Seward. The new appointed member will hold the seat until the next regular election, scheduled for October 2020.

The board has not yet set a timeline and schedule for the appointment, Debbie Tressler, the administrative secretary for the school board and superintendent, said in an email.

When the board addresses the vacancy, advertisements in local media will be distributed, applications and nominations will be solicited and candidates will be announced. The public will have opportunity to provide input on candidates, who will be interviewed during a public meeting. The appointee will be selected through a majority vote of board members.