Vest resigns from Hartselle City School Board, opening Place 1 seat

Monty Vest has resigned from her position on the Hartselle City Schools Board of Education.

Vest said she gave her letter of resignation to board president Dr. James Joy July 25, and it was effective July 26. Vest said she and her husband Andy are in the process of relocating to St. Louis, Mo.

Vest was first appointed to the board by the Hartselle City Council in 2010 and then elected to the board in the city’s first school board election in 2012. She resigned in 2015 to move to St. Louis, returning in 2018 and running again in 2020, beating incumbent Amy Pace.

Pace now serves on the board after being appointed to replace Jones last year.

Joy said the board will meet Aug. 15 for a work session to discuss the process of filling the vacant seat.

Dr. James Joy Hartselle City School Board president

The next municipal election is scheduled for August 2025, with the qualifying period opening in June 2025.

“We’re looking to appoint someone who has previous board experience but doesn’t necessarily have interest in running next August,” Joy said. “We don’t want to give anyone a head start as an incumbent.”

Joy added he has several people in mind who could fill the vacancy in a temporary capacity until the election.

Interest was high when the last board seat was being filled with more than 25 people applying for the position when Venita Jones resigned, Joy said.