Sudbury Seeks New School Committee Member After Resignation

SUDBURY, MA — Sudbury is searching for a new school committee member following the resignation of member Tyler Steffey, who is giving up his seat a little over a year after he was first elected.

The resignation became public at the July 18 meeting when School Committee Chair Silvia Nerssessian said she had received a formal letter from Town Clerk Beth Klein notifying Nerssessian of Steffey's decision to step down.

Neither Klein nor Nerssessian immediately responded to a request for a copy of the letter. Asked about why Steffey left the seat, Nerssessian said it wasn't within her purview to discuss it.

"A decision made by a member to resign, is personal in nature, is not a committee action and not appropriate for committee discussions," she said via email Monday.

Steffey also would not elaborate on why he gave up the seat.

"I resigned for personal reasons. This email will be the extent of what I share," he said in an email Tuesday.

Steffey was elected to a three-year term in April 2021 in a three-way race for two seats. Nerssessian was up for reelection, and there was one open seat left by Lisa Kouchakdjian, who instead ran for a select board seat. Steffey bested Jam Time owner Mandy Sim by 43 votes to pick up Kouchakdjian's seat.

"I consider my election to the Sudbury School Committee an opportunity to serve Sudbury residents," he said in a 2021 thank-you letter to voters. "I plan to be accessible and responsive every step of the way."

Steffey is still employed as an assistant principal at a middle school in Concord, and has not sold his home, according to property records.

Any registered voter living in Sudbury can apply for the open school committee seat. The deadline is Aug. 2, and the select board and school committee will likely meet in joint session on Aug. 15 to interview candidates and select an interim. The interim member will serve until the next town election in spring 2023.