Scott County School Board chair stepping down after 12 years

After 12 years, and three contested elections, Scott County School Board Chairman Haley Conway announced Thursday he is stepping down.

Conway’s term runs through the end of the year but he announced his resignation at the Thursday school board meeting so potential candidates for the District 1 seat could meet the Aug. 9 filing deadline.

Conway led the board as chairman for two years as it dealt with a drawn-out community debate over building a second high school. He also was at the helm in February 2015 when the board voted not to renew the contract of Superintendent Patricia Putty.

Conway led the search for a new superintendent, Kevin Hub, who took over about three weeks ago.

“I’d like to encourage people to run for office,” Conway told board members at a Thursday night meeting. “This is a wonderful school district.”

He no longer has children in the district and thinks the school board is best served by active parents, he said.

“I admire his complete dedication to moving our district forward,” said school board member Jennifer Holbert. “Sometimes it was by inches and sometimes it was by miles. He never lost sight of doing what’s right for the district.”

“He served through unprecedented growth, the construction of schools, and many improvements to our facilities,” said board member Jo Anna Fryman. “He served with a sincere heart to do what was best for the students, teachers and staff of Scott County Schools.”

Conway said he expects to continue in public service in Scott County, but wanted to spend more time with his family. His wife, Millie, serves on the Georgetown City Council.

The Scott County district adds 200 to 300 students each year, has an enrollment of about 9,000 students and an annual budget of about $60 million.

This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Scott County School Board chair stepping down after 12 years."