Gibbs declines to seek reelection on school board

<span>CHESTER -- In a message first posted on his personal Facebook page on Dec. 16, Chester CUSD No. 139 Board of Education member Adam Gibbs said he would not be seeking reelection in the April 7 election.</span>

<span>Gibbs was elected to a four-year term in 2011 with 502 votes.</span>

<span>"Honestly, the biggest issue for me (not seeking reelection) was personnel decisions, more than anything," said Gibbs in an interview with the Herald Tribune. "I honestly don't like the power and authority and making a decision, even if it's a decision I believe in, is a huge downer for anybody and I'm not cut out for that."</span>

<span>Gibbs said the only reason he ran for the school board in 2011 was because incumbent Mitch Hammell "wanted off of it."</span>

<span>"At the last minute, he decided to run for it and we ran against each other," Gibbs said. "I would rather be involved with the kids and volunteering."</span>

<span>In Gibbs' Facebook message, he confirmed Hammell has filed the paperwork to run for the position again.</span>

<span>"I was pleased to hear that Mitch Hammell decided to run for school board," Gibbs said in his Facebook message. "We are in the same township (7-6), so we would have been running against each other.</span>

<span>"Mitch is a former school board member with years of experience. He is level-headed and someone I fully trust to move the school (board) in the right direction."</span>

<span>Gibbs was one of four current Board of Education members up for reelection next year, with Jess Cushman (Township 7-6), Micah Reiman (Township 7-7) and Christie Modglin (Township 7-7) as the others.</span>

<span>Gibbs, Cushman and Reiman's spots are four-year terms, while Modglin is a two-year term.</span>

<span>Modglin was appointed earlier this year to serve the remainder of Tammi Schroeder's term.</span>

<span>Schroeder and her husband, Kurt, own Red Dot Construction and Equipment and Schroeder stepped down in March due to her company's work with the Chester Grade School gymnasium project.</span>

<span>"Hopefully, maybe in the future, I can revisit it or go back to it," Gibbs said. "I thought I was capable of handling it and this last year was too emotional for me. I was going to run again if I felt there wasn't anybody qualified to run for it."</span>

<span>As far as future projects, Gibbs said he is busy with the Chester Junior Volleyball Club.</span>

<span>"I'm busy with volleyball and that's taking up a lot of time," he said. "We start tournament season in January, so we're going full-blown into that."</span>

<span>The filing deadline for seats on the Board of Education is Monday at 5 p.m.</span>