Lehighton Area School District residents can expect unfinished business from this week’s contentious special meeting to return to the agenda when the school board convenes Monday at 7 p.m. in the administration board room.

A motion to appoint Denise Hartley as a new director will be back before the board after an attempted vote collapsed Wednesday when members Barbara Bowes, Kerry Sittler and Heather Neff walked out, leaving the board without a quorum.

Hartley ran in the primary but did not make the general election ballot.

The vacancy stems from the resignation of director April Walker, whose departure became effective Tuesday. Her resignation was accepted Wednesday by a 5-2 vote, with directors Sittler and Neff opposed.

Superintendent Jason Moser opened Wednesday’s meeting by reading Walker’s written statement to the community.

“To the families and community members who show up, speak up, volunteer and advocate: thank you,” Walker said. “Your partnership is the foundation of everything that makes our schools special. To our staff and administration, your dedication changes lives every single day, often in ways that go unseen.”

Walker also said she spoke very little in meetings due to fear of “having her words twisted, taken out of context or simply being misquoted or only a partial quote publicized.”

Eight residents submitted letters of interest for the open seat: Brooke Kennedy, Nicole Collier, Kirk Henritzy, Lou Accardi, Walter Zlomsowitch, Nathan Foeller, Denise Hartley and Kasara Weinrich.

Bowes objected to how the board handled the applicant process, saying previous boards interviewed candidates publicly.

“That would have been the proper way to do it, in my opinion,” she said.

Walker’s resignation was the second for Lehighton’s board in a month. Sean Gleaves resigned on Nov. 13, and the board appointed David Bradley to the vacancy by a 5-3 vote.