Michele Banks, Ed.D. is stepping down from the Jim Thorpe Area School Board after telling colleagues Wednesday night that she and her husband are moving out of the district.

Her resignation takes effect Dec. 4.

Board President Dennis McGinley read her letter aloud at the close of the district’s committee meeting.

“Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from my position as a member of the Jim Thorpe Area School Board effective Dec. 4, 2026,” Banks wrote. “Due to my upcoming relocation outside the district, I will no longer be able to continue serving in this role. It has been an honor to serve our students, families, educators and community.”

Banks then addressed the board directly.

“I’ll miss all of you, and it has been such a wonderful opportunity and experience,” she said. “But my husband and I have made the decision to move, so I’m actually going back to where we were before, near family and my grandchildren.”

Superintendent Robert Presley congratulated her on the move.

The board is scheduled to vote on accepting the resignation at its regular meeting Wednesday. Because the resignation does not take effect until Dec. 4, the board will have 30 days from that date to appoint a replacement.

Banks chaired the board’s Cafeteria and Buildings and Grounds Committee.

The vacancy comes months before five board seats, including the one belonging to Banks, appear on the May 18, 2027, primary ballot. Board member Gerry Strubinger told colleagues during an earlier discussion that the primary is where the outcome is effectively settled.

“There’s five positions in the spring, and as you know from prior experience, the primary is the place where the directors get elected,” Strubinger said.