Camden school board member will resign

Camden school board member Nyeema Watson announced last night that she is resigning her post.

Relaying her decision "with some sadness" at last night's board meeting, Watson said it had become difficult to fulfill her board obligations, along with her other responsibilities.

Watson said her last meeting will be Oct. 21, and that she hoped to continue to work with the district.

Watson is one of three board members appointed by the governor's office. She was first appointed to the board in 2005 by then-Acting Gov. Richard Codey. She was reappointed by Gov. Corzine in 2006 to serve until April 2009.

A graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, Watson is associate director of the Center for Children and Childhood Studies at Rutgers University-Camden. A former board vice-president, she also heads the Rutgers-Camden Future Scholars program, a mentoring and enrichment program that culminates in free Rutgers tuition for achieving local students.

Three of the Camden school board members are elected, included Board President Sara Davis. Three others are appointed by the Camden mayor.

The Camden board was restructured under the 2002 Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act. That restructuring provided for the gubernatorial and mayoral appointments. It also gives the governor veto power over board actions.