Sheila Franklin and Wesley “Trip” Leach resigned from the Conway School Board on Monday, creating a sudden shift in leadership just hours before the board’s scheduled monthly meeting.
Franklin, who served as the board’s president and represented an at-large district, submitted her resignation without stating a reason. Leach, who represented Zone 4, said in his letter that he was stepping down to focus on his family and personal health. Both resignations were effective immediately.
The timing of Franklin’s departure has raised questions, coming two weeks after Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva rejected the Conway School District’s request to hire her daughter, LaShanta Johnson, for a dual role as a credit recovery teacher and girls basketball assistant coach at Conway High School.
According to the Arkansas Department of Education, state law generally prohibits school districts from employing close relatives of board members in positions that report directly to the board or are compensated with local funds. While the district argued that Johnson’s coaching duties would be supervised by the school’s head coach and not the board, the state education department sided with the statutory restriction.
Franklin did not respond to requests for comment. The Conway School District also declined to comment on the resignation or the prior hiring attempt.
Leach, who has served on the school board for 12 years, is a longtime fixture in Conway’s civic landscape. His departure removes a seasoned voice from the board, which now faces the task of appointing replacements for both seats. Under Arkansas law, the Conway City Council will appoint a new representative to fill Franklin’s at-large seat, while the Faulkner County quorum court will handle the Zone 4 vacancy left by Leach.
The Conway School District is one of the largest in Central Arkansas, serving more than 9,000 students across 13 schools. The board oversees a budget of approximately $92 million and employs over 1,300 staff members.
Franklin’s resignation comes amid heightened scrutiny of hiring practices within Arkansas school districts. State officials have emphasized the importance of avoiding even the appearance of conflicts of interest, particularly when family members are involved.
With two seats now vacant, the Conway School Board will need to quickly organize a replacement process to maintain its quorum and continue regular operations. The next regularly scheduled board meeting is set for May 26.
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
