Michael Baptiste

CHERRY TWP — Less than a year after being elected to the Moniteau School District’s board of directors, Michael Baptiste resigned Monday evening, July 20.

Moniteau’s school board voted unanimously during Monday’s meeting to formally approve Baptiste’s resignation. According to the meeting’s agenda, Baptiste resigned due to “personal circumstances that would not allow him to fulfill his duties.” His resignation is effective immediately.

He was absent from Monday’s meeting.

“We wish him nothing but the very best,” board member Michael Panza said.

Baptiste is a Clay Township resident who previously served on Moniteau’s school board from 2019 to 2023. He previously said he is college professor and program coordinator at Florida Gulf Coast University, where he leads the sports management program.

As a board member, he served as chair of the legislative committee as well as a member of the finance and extracurricular committees.

Baptiste was reelected to the board in November 2025 with 1,505 votes, or 19.5% of the vote. His term was set to expire in January 2030.

The board also voted unanimously Monday to approve advertising the vacant position. According to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, Moniteau has 30 days to fill the vacancy with a qualified candidate.

“The procedure will be that the administration will advertise, and we will need to meet after we get responses in,” Panza said.