Wichita school board member Mike Rodee resigns immediately for ‘personal reasons’

Wichita school board member Mike Rodee has resigned from his position.

“I would like to formally submit my resignation from the board of USD 259, effective immediately, for personal reasons,” Rodee said.

The board unanimously accepted his resignation. Rodee represented District 5, covering west Wichita.

“We appreciate Mike Rodee’s years of service,” president Stan Reeser said. “... He had an unwavering support of public education.”

The district plans to issue a notice of the vacancy that calls for applicants, Superintendent Alicia Thompson said. The Board of Education would then interview candidates and appoint a new representative. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and live in District 5.

This is the second time Rodee has resigned — after his first resignation was later rescinded. In December 2019, Rodee temporarily resigned after a majority of board members approved a statement of non-discrimination that protects gay, transgender and gender-nonconforming students.

In November 2020, a petition was created on Change.org calling for Rodee to resign. The petition came after a board meeting where Rodee criticized the effectiveness of remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic and told teachers and others to stop emailing him with their complaints about COVID-19 policies.

More than 2,100 people had signed the petition as of Monday evening.

This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 6:48 PM.