Don Ludwig resigns as school board vice president

Sally Beth Lyon said she never talked with her husband, Don Ludwig, about matters before the Columbia Public School District. That’s because she worked as district director of research, assessment and accountability, and he was vice president of the Columbia School Board; they agreed to keep their business separate.

That will change now that Ludwig, who has been on the board since 2002, resigned Monday evening.

His wife was named assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at the same meeting. Starting July 1, Lyon will succeed Cheryl Cozette, who is retiring.

“It just makes good sense for me not to be on the board that oversees my wife in such an important position,” Ludwig said Tuesday.

The race for two seats on the board is not affected. School board president Karla DeSpain, whose term expires next month, is running against Jan Mees and Michael Tan. The other board vacancy will be created because J.C. Headley is stepping down.

Ludwig’s resignation will not be final until the board votes to accept it April 10. DeSpain said the position will be advertised, then applicants will be interviewed in open session. A successor will likely be appointed in May, she said. That person would serve until the term expires in 2008.

“We hire and we give raises to the superintendent who gives raises to my wife,” Ludwig said, explaining the conflict of interest created by Lyon’s new post. He could abstain from voting on any matter involving her.

“I would be abstaining from a lot,” he said.

Lyon called her husband’s resignation a loss for the district. But, she said, “It will be wonderful to solicit his advice and talk to him about work, which we never did.”