New Banning School Board Members Sworn In, Curtis Elected President

Update 7:55 p.m. Melodie Reese submitted her resignation from the Banning Unified School District board during closed session, and it was accepted, Superintendent Lynne Kennedy said during a board meeting Thursday night.

Reese resigned for undisclosed personal reasons, Kennedy and Board Member Alex Cassadas said.

Reese's resignation reduced the five-member board of trustees to four.

The process of replacing Reese will commence in January 2012, Kennedy said.

Posted 5:27 p.m. Three new members of the Banning Unified School District board of trustees were sworn in Thursday, one month after voters elected for change on the five-member panel and in the way the district is run.

Larry Ellis, Ray Curtis and Alex Cassadas finished 1-2-3 in of the Banning Unified School District board election on Nov. 8.

On Thursday afternoon, Banning Unified Superintendent Lynne Kennedy swore in the three new board members, who were endorsed by the Banning Teachers Association, the union that represents about 200 teachers.

In before the November election, Ellis, Curtis and Cassadas were critical of Kennedy, and several days before the election, the Banning Teachers Association issued a '' in Kennedy's leadership.

Thursday in Banning city council chambers, Ellis, Curtis and Cassadas joined Wendell Bainter and Melodie Reese on the board of trustees, and their first action was to elect Curtis as board president.

Banning Unified School District serves about 5,000 students in a 300-square-mile area, from kindergarten through 12th grade, according to the district's web site.

The district includes four elementary schools, two middle schools, one comprehensive high school, and one continuation high school.

Banning Unified is one of the largest employers in the San Gorgonio Pass, with about 450 employees.