Gattis to resign from school board to chair House Education Committee

WASILLA — Lynn Gattis, the incoming state representative from greater Wasilla, will serve as chair of the House Education Committee when the Legislature convenes in Juneau.

Gattis, a Republican, says she favors school vouchers. She said she backs equal time in the classroom for creationism and evolution. And she’s open to the idea of regional schools for rural areas.

Gattis has served on the Mat-Su School Board since 2010, but said that she plans to resign from the board in mid-January.

Originally, Gattis told other school board members she hoped to remain on the school board even if elected. It's legal in Alaska to serve on local boards while serving in the Legislature.

But, Gattis said, she decided over the weekend to resign from the board after she learned of her appointment as Education chair; a plum position in the Legislature for an incoming freshman.

“I don’t think I can do our district fair by staying on the school board even though I legally can,” she said by phone on Sunday. “I certainly can see the conflict of interest.”

Gattis said she saw several reasons to resign from the board. As House Education chair, she’d be weighing statewide school priorities while simultaneously advocating for the Mat-Su. She’d also have to recuse herself when Mat-Su issues came before the committee.

The 28th session of the Alaska Legislature convenes Jan. 15 in Juneau. That’s how Gattis picked her resignation date. It's the day she get sworn in as a legislator. She said she made that decision on Monday.

“Over the holidays, it’s real tough to get things done,” she said. “This gives them the opportunity to meet a few times.”

Susan Pougher, school board president, said Gattis’ decision didn’t come as a surprise.

“It’s, I’m sure, very difficult to be in the House and also on a local school board,” Pougher said. “She didn’t want there to be any conflict or perceived conflict. She has good integrity.”

The Gattis resignation will mark the third appointment to the board in about six years. A member’s first year on the board tends to come with a big learning curve, Pougher said. New members go through a “board member boot camp” that helps get them up to speed on how the process works.

The board also gained a new member when voters approved Debbie Retherford in October's local elections.

According to school board policy, a vacancy needs to be filled within 30 days by board appointment. In the interest of drawing from “the widest possible number of candidates,” the board advertises the vacancy in local media and solicits applications or nominations. Candidate names are announced to solicit public input “either in writing or at a public meeting.”

The board interviews candidates at a public meeting and selects the new member by majority vote. That person holds the position until the next election.

The Gattis seat is up for election next year.