ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown School Board on Thursday approved the resignation of former school Director Daysell Ramirez.
The open seat created by her resignation will be filled next month.
The board approved the resignation in a 6-0 vote.
Board President Andrene Brown-Nowell and Vice President Audrey Mathison, as well as directors Phoebe Harris, Jennifer Lynn Ortiz, Zaleeae Sierra and Ana Tiburcio all approved the resignation. There was no public discussion.
Ramirez, along with directors Lisa Conover and LaTarsha Brown were absent.
The school board will fill the vacancy created by Ramirez’s resignation at a meeting Aug. 22, according to a district news release sent after Thursday's meeting.
The board will publicly interview applicants and vote to appoint someone at the meeting. The directions and requirements for applying are listed on the district website.
The person appointed to the seat will serve out the rest of Ramirez’s four-year term, which is set to end in December 2027.
Ramirez's short tenure
Ramirez first was elected to the board in November 2023 and sworn in that December.
She had only served as a school director for six months when she informed the board of her resignation plans in a July 7 letter, which was obtained by LehighValleyNews.com.
Ramirez did not respond to requests for comment when a reporter reached out about her resignation this month.
In her letter, Ramirez cited tensions with other school directors and the district administration as a reason for her decision. She also cited personal reasons.
“My values and work ethic do not align with the Allentown School District administration, legal counsel and some board members,” Ramirez said in the letter.
My values and work ethic do not align with the Allentown School District administration, legal counsel and some board members.Daysell Ramirez, former Allentown School Board director, in resignation letter
Ramirez said the board struggles with “bullying,” “poor professionalism,” “issues with transparency” and a “lack of urgency” related to policy and governing.
Brown-Nowell, the board president, declined to respond to those claims after Thursday’s board meeting.
When asked if she has concerns about the board’s ability to function and get work done, Brown-Nowell said: “I think right now the board is functioning well.
"There are some concerns with the board, and I think it was brought up before, with some conflicts of interest, and we’re taking the necessary steps to get clarification there.”
Letter to State Ethics Commission
Ramirez's recent departure came after a tense summer for the board in which directors debated what constitutes a conflict of interest for board members — particularly those who have day jobs with community organizations that serve district students.
Brown-Nowell and her youth arts and wellness nonprofit organization — Fine Feather Foundation — were at the center of that discussion.
Some school directors took issue with Fine Feather Foundation getting ASD transportation assistance for its summer camp.
As a result, Brown-Nowell ultimately declined the service, which was available to all other community partners serving ASD students this summer.
Brown-Nowell previously said she wants to ask the State Ethics Commission to review ASD’s situation to understand what district partnerships can look like when school directors are involved with the community organizations in question.
Brown-Nowell isn't the only board member with ties to a community organization.
Tiburcio works a seasonal position with Fine Feather Foundation as a program coordinator; Sierra serves as the youth director of Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, an anti-violence nonprofit group; and Brown is a grant compliance manager for the City of Allentown.
Discussed letter in closed session
In her opening remarks Thursday, Brown-Nowell said school directors had a discussion with the solicitor about sending such a letter to the State Ethics Commission.
The ethics commission is there for a reason: to answer questions so we can govern the right way.Andrene Brown-Nowell, Allentown School Board Presiden
That conversation happened in the executive session held prior to Thursday's public meeting.
Executive sessions are private meetings for school directors to discuss confidential matters, such as personnel and pending lawsuits.
Brown-Nowell told LehighValleyNews.com the board plans to reach out to the State Ethics Commission with questions on a few different topics, including conflicts of interest. She declined to share the other topics of concern. The letter will be sent shortly, she said.
“The ethics commission is there for a reason: to answer questions so we can govern the right way,” Brown-Nowell said after Thursday’s meeting.
“So whatever questions that we’ve had or that have been of concern for a while or over the years, we’re using this as an opportunity to get clarification on those things.”
