Julia Bernath will leave the Fulton County School Board after holding a seat since 2000.
Bernath serves as board president and District 7 representative.
“Just over 22 years ago, I began a journey that I had no idea would last this long and be so fulfilling and worthwhile,” Bernath said in a statement where she thanked the community, fellow board members, and the school system staff. “After much soul-searching and thought … I am ready to start on my next journey in life. I feel I will have left our school district in a good place when my term ends in December of 2022, and I am so proud of the accomplishments this district has made and where we are now.”
This week, three candidates qualified to fill the District 7 seat, which will be on the May 24 ballot.
Michelle Morancie of Sandy Springs, who works as a licensed psychologist, qualified for the seat on March 7.
Phil Chen of Roswell, who works as an engineer, also qualified on March 7.
And, Linda Arnold of Sandy Springs, a retiree, qualified on March 10 for the District 7 seat.
Other school districts on the ballot include Districts 2 and 5, which will have new board members as Katie Reeves, who first took a seat on the school board in 1999, and Linda McCain, who assumed office in 2011, are not running for reelection; and District 6, in which incumbent Kimberly Dove will face a challenger.
New board districts were approved and will take effect for 2023. North and South Fulton district maps can be found on the FCS website.
Update: This story was updated with comments from Bernath.