Thu, Nov 26 2009
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Board member resigns after questions about residency “It was pretty obvious that something fishy was going on,” he said. “But you’re held to the documents people give you unless you prove otherwise.”
Pyle said his office was preparing to ask law enforcement to assist with the investigation, until Cole abruptly resigned Wednesday. “That voter registration card is basically an affidavit,” he said. “If they fill out a false affidavit, that could be a criminal charge.” Pyle also stated that even if Cole no longer owned property in Pittsburg, he still would have been eligible to serve on the board had he rented a home or apartment in Pittsburg and declared the town his place of residence. “That happens in lots of cases,” he said. “People have vacation homes or something, but they have to choose a permanent residence where they vote.” Interim Superintendent Robin Dexter said she was aware Cole’s home was on the market, and that his wife no longer worked in Pittsburg, but said she was not made aware if Cole had moved out of the district, or continued to maintain a residence. “We were advised by the Kansas Association of School Boards to ask the clerk to verify the address,” she said. “The response from the clerk’s office was we will get back to you if there’s a problem. They never got back to us, so we operated like there was no problem.” Kansas law states that if a board member establishes residence outside the school district that member is no longer eligible to serve and the board must fill the vacancy. Dexter said the board will take steps to fill that vacancy once Cole’s resignation letter is presented and approved by the board at its next meeting on Sept. 8. From there, Dexter said the vacancy will be published in Pittsburg’s newspaper of record for 15 days, and then open interviews will be conducted with potential candidates at a subsequent session, most likely on Oct. 13. The seat will be up for election in the spring of 2009. Although his resignation letter did not provide details about his housing situation, Dexter said the board is preparing to move on and will not seek answers to the question of Cole’s residency. “He’s turned in his resignation and we’re not going to worry about that,” she said. Pyle said Cole’s resignation, rather than an explanation, may say a lot about where he resides. “I think that question has been answered,” he said. 
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