Dr. Cynthia Graves is stepping down from the Pflugerville ISD Board of Trustees.[/caption]

Dr. Cynthia Graves decided to do something that hasn’t been done in quite some time - resign from her seat on the Pflugerville Independent School District’s Board of Trustees.

Graves submitted her letter of resignation to the board Aug. 18, which was accepted, an action which ignites the process of the board filling the vacancy; something that is relatively uncharted territory for the board.

“We are going to do it in a professional, reasonable manner, and it will be transparent, and the community will know what happens,” said Vernagene Mott, president of the PISD Board of Trustees. “Obviously, it hasn’t happened in our district in quite a long time, at least in the last 12 to 15 years I know for sure; but it has happened in other districts, so we can look at best practices and figure out what’s going to fit Pflugerville.”

Graves has been a member of the board since 2006, six of those years she has served as secretary, where she was meticulous and organized, and her experience as a small business owner in the community brought value to her service on the board said Mott.

"My integrity prevents me from participating in Board meetings without the proper preparation and participation in committees," Graves said in a statement. "The job is more than two meetings a month, and when performed properly, requires more time than I am able to volunteer."

 Graves cited responsibilities associated with expansion of her local dental practice as the reason for her decision to step down.

According to Mott, the board has 180 days to fill the vacancy once the letter of resignation is accepted. She explained that the timeline has been set, and the board is looking at a deadline of early February to fill the seat. Graves will continue to serve until an appointment is made.