The Chillicothe City Schools Board of Education is mourning the loss of a Board Member. Joy Colleen Shoemaker, who served on the board for more than seven years, passed away on New Year’s Eve at the age of 83.
Mrs. Shoemaker started her career in education as an aide at Unioto Elementary in Ross County, where she remained for about four years. She then went on to work as an elementary school secretary for the Waverly Local Schools where she spent 43 years. Following retirement, Mrs. Shoemaker then ran for and successfully gained a seat on the Chillicothe City Schools Board of Education. She also served for two years as a member of Pickaway-Ross Joint Vocational School District.
Mrs. Shoemaker’s passing leaves a vacancy on the Chillicothe City Schools Board of Education. The District says it must begin the process to find and name a replacement. That has to be done within thirty days of the vacancy date of December 31st, 2020.
Citizens interested in being considered for the appointment should submit a letter of interest or access the online application on the Chillicothe City Schools website. Letters of interest should be mailed or delivered to Deborah Lawwell, at 425 Yoctangee Parkway in Chillicothe. A letter can also be sent by email to Deborah.lawwell@ccsd.us by 12:00 p.m. January 19, 2021.
According to the Ohio School Boards Association, people serving on school boards in Ohio must be district residents and registered voters. If you wish to continue serving on the school board, they will stand for election in the next general election.
A couple of special Chillicothe City Schools Board meetings will be held on Tuesday, January 19th and on Wednesday, January 20th to review, and possibly interview applicants for the Board position. The special meetings will begin at 4:00 p.m. on both days and will be held in Room 116 of the Atwood District Office, located at 425 Yoctangee Parkway.