Amarillo Independent School District trustee James Allen has resigned.
Allen, a longtime trustee with Amarillo ISD, has tendered his resignation. It was announced last week that an unnamed trustee had resigned and the Amarillo Education Association revealed via Facebook that Allen is the unnamed trustee.
A local businessman and former community development administrator for the City of Amarillo, Allen has served on the Amarillo Independent School District Board of Trustees since May of 1999. Allen was re-elected to a four year term on the board in 2017, placing second in a cumulative field of five candidates.
During his time on the Amarillo Independent School District Board of Trustees, Allen has been at the forefront of several policy battles. Most recently, Allen was the trustee leading the fight for diversity training at Amarillo ISD and was one of three trustees who voted against renaming Robert E. Lee Elementary School to Lee Elementary School.
Allen's resignation from the Amarillo Independent School District comes just months after Allen resigned from his role as community development director for the City of Amarillo. According to his profile on Amaisd.org, Allen also served as vice president of Amarillo National Bank prior to joining the City.
Board members are expected to accept Allen's resignation during a meeting on Thursday. According to district policy, trustees may choose to appoint a successor for Allen or call a special election for his seat.
Photo by KFDA