[Update] Merrill Kidd Resigns From Manchester School Board

Merill Kidd, a controversial and, at times, confrontational member of the Manchester Board of Education, resigned from the board Wednesday citing "personal family matters" as her reason for the decision for leaving, according to school board members.

Her resignation is effective immediately, according to school board Chairman Chris Pattacini.

Pattacini made a brief announcement about Kidd's decision at the beginning of the Board of Education's meeting on Wednesday night at the Lincoln Center.

Kidd, a controversial board member who was elected to serve until the fall of 2013, did not attend the meeting. A man reached at her home prior to the meeting said that Kidd was not available to comment.

According to the state judical website, Kidd was arrested by Manchester police on Nov. 9 and charged with disorderly conduct. No further information was available about why Kidd was charged. She is scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Dec. 11.

In February, Kidd was accused of cyber bullying after sending alleged threatening and harassing Facebook posts to a fellow board member; Kidd was never charged in the incident. Shortly thereafter, Kidd declined to resign from the board and was instead stripped of all her subcommittee responsibilities by the Democratic majority members on the board; Kidd had been a registered Republican at the time.

In October, Kidd said that the school board was to have met to discuss her performance on the board in a closed-door session, but that portion of the meeting was later removed from the agenda.

Wednesday night, board members did not comment on Kidd's past actions as a member, with Pattacini just saying that "being a board member takes a lot of time.”

“We appreciate her public service. We wish her well," he said.

The school board must now find someone to fill the vacant seat.

According to the board's bylaws, the school board can fill the vacancy by appointment until the next regular election, which is in November 2013.

"Nominations to fill such vacancy shall be made by any Board member that is a registered member of the same political party as the departed member. If no remaining member is a member of such political party, then any member may make such nomination," according to the bylaws.

Kidd was not affiliated with a political party after she withdrew from the Republican Town Committee and the party in March. For this reason the board must find someone who is not a registered Democrat to fill the post.

Board Member Michael Crockett, a the Republican minority leader on the board, will work with the Manchester Republicans to request nominations.