Leland Clark

Leland Clark, a member of the Butler School Board since 2016, will resign his position later this month.

Clark notified his fellow board members in an email Monday that he has accepted an associate position with Dillon McCandless King Coulter and Graham attorneys in Butler.

Since his new firm represents the Butler School District, it would be a conflict of interest to continue as a school board member.

“This is bittersweet, because BASD is heading in a really great direction and it's hard to not be part of it. As much as being a school director can be a thankless job at times, I will genuinely miss it,” he wrote in the email.

Clark's first day with the firm will be April 17, meaning he will still sit on the board for its two April meetings.

Clark said in an interview Monday that he will not do any legal work for the Butler district for a period of time, per state ethics rules.

He will likely assist with other school districts and municipalities that the firm represents, he said.

Dillon McCandless King Coulter and Graham, according to its website, is primarily a civil practice and handles corporate law, municipal law, school law, estate planning, labor law and litigation.

Clark, a Center Township resident with children in the district, said he first became interested in joining the school board in 2015 when the district was going through tumultuous times with financial issues and a consolidation plan that closed several elementary schools.

A Butler High School graduate, he has practiced family, criminal and juvenile law since 2009 at a private practice in Butler.

Clark said he is happy to have helped the board reach agreements on several contracts, work toward a balanced budget and hire superintendent Brian White last year.

“Dr. White is a fantastic leader and I think everything is moving in a great direction right now,” he said.

Clark in late 2016 helped bring to light the fact that district administrators had not acted properly after receiving test results from Summit Elementary School showing unsafe levels of lead in the water. He filed a right-to-know request with the state Department of Environmental Protection to obtain correspondence about the water issues and provided his findings to the board. The school was later closed for almost a year to correct the problems there.

Clark also was one of two board members to vote against allowing former superintendent Dr. Dale Lumley to retire with benefits from the district in February of last year.

School Board President Nina Teff said Monday that Clark has been an asset to the board, but she understands his decision.

“It's definitely bittersweet. I'm very happy for Leland. I think it's a great opportunity for him and his career and his professional development as a lawyer. He's been a great member of the board, I'd love for him to stick around,” Teff said.

Clark's four-year term runs through the end of 2019.

After Clark leaves, the board will likely seek applicants from interested community members and eventually appoint a replacement who will serve until the end of his term, Teff said.