Sharon Mueller resigns from school board, effective immediately

Cape Girardeau school board member Sharon Mueller has resigned from the school board, effective immediately.

Mueller has served on the board for eight years. She had one year left on her third, three-year term at the time of her resignation.

Mueller said in February that she might resign as early as this spring if her husband accepted a job transfer to St. Louis. Her husband works for Nestle Purina Petcare Co., which plans to close its cat litter product division in Cape Girardeau this summer.

Board president Steven Trautwein said Wednesday that he received the resignation letter earlier this week.

The board, he said, will accept the resignation at its meeting on May 21.

Trautwein said the board then will begin the process of appointing someone to fill the position until the April election.

Interested persons will be invited to submit applications describing their qualifications and why they would like to serve on the board, Trautwein said.

The board then would interview selected applicants at a public meeting before making the appointment, Trautwein said.

The board president said Mueller has been a valuable member of the board.

"She has a lot of background with this board. She is very smart and she thinks well on her feet," Trautwein said.

"We are going to miss her," he said.