BUTLER TWP — The Butler Area School District school board accepted the resignation of board member Regenold Griffin at a meeting Monday night, April 24, effective immediately.

The board also passed an update to its random drug test policy, which now says students who have a second and third drug offense within a six-year period will receive a 14-day suspension from sports and activities and lose parking privileges.

The board appointed Griffin in July 2022 to fill the unexpired term of Tom Harrison, who resigned in May 2022. Brian White, district superintendent, said Griffin indicated to him that he was resigning for personal reasons.

The remaining eight board members talked about how they planned to replace Griffin, whose term runs until the end of the year. Board member John Conrad suggested that with the May 16 primary election approaching, the board should wait until its results come in and appoint the newcomer who earns the most votes.

However, other board members said to avoid conflict, they should appoint a person the same way the board always has — by advertising the open position and choosing among its applicants. Board members also agreed that they would like to appoint a person on their own, rather than have a judge appoint one.

“If we come back here next month and decide to open up applications potentially, couldn’t that possibly look like we didn’t like the top vote getter? I don’t like that,” said board member Mary Waggoner. “I would like to put forth a motion that we follow the same process with Regenold’s position open.”

The vote to accept the method passed 6-2, with Conrad and Al Vavro dissenting.

Anyone interested in filling the position can send a letter of intent to board secretary catherine.melder@basdk12.org by May 18.

White said previously that there was conflicting language in the random drug test policy that administrators wanted to update in an effort to have students take the policy seriously.

A student who violates the policy also will have to meet with the assistant superintendent, their building principal or a designee, and a guidance counselor so together they can create a detailed action plan focusing on the creation of assistance and support-based goals.

White said the policy update is meant to create a path for students to improve their situation; the previous policy did not provide clear language in this regard.

Assistant superintendent Brian Slamecka said at Monday’s meeting that there was one change to the policy language since the first reading, which now says a student can have their record expunged only one time, and only if it is a first offense.