Catherine Ellsworth has resigned from the Cooperstown Central School board of education.

At the most recent school board meeting, board president Kelly Branigan read a brief statement prepared by Ellsworth indicating that her resignation was effective immediately and stemmed from the job being "too much responsibility at this time in my life."

Ellsworth wrote that she regretted being unable to finish the term.

Board member Anthony Scalici said at the meeting, "I just want to recognize her integrity in doing this. It was a tough decision. And I also want to say that we still don't have a state budget in place."

Ellsworth, who delivered legislative updates at the meetings, reported on the late state budget each month, announcing the number of days it had gone beyond schedule.

She said earlier in the year that she was taping newspaper clippings with the number of days overdue in her windows so people would know how late it was. She joked that her house was starting to darken.

Branigan said the board appreciated the time Ellsworth spent working on policy changes and the controversial Redskins mascot. Ellsworth was the head of the public relations committee of the school board, responsible for organizing a summer long research effort to determine the origin of the nickname Redskins historically and within the district.

"I'm not a member of the board anymore," Ellsworth said Monday. "So it's not my problem now. I turned over everything I had to the board. It's up to them now."

Ellsworth recently completed the first year of her three year term, and was elected into the seat left vacant by the death of her husband, Gerald Ellsworth, a longtime member of the board. She did not want to add any comments to the statement.

"It's a personal decision and I intend to keep it that way," Ellsworth said on Monday.

District superintendent Mary Jo McPhail said according to state law, the district has ninety days to decide what to do with the vacant position. There are four options.

"The board could appoint someone. It could be someone who ran for the school board already, but it doesn't have to be. They could choose to hold an election, which means that all time requirements for legal notification have to be fulfilled. They could ask the BOCES superintendent to appoint someone. Or they could leave the seat vacant."