Karen Stokes and Finza Cormier resigned from the Rochester School Board during its July 10 meeting, and the board unanimously voted to accept both resignations and forward the vacancies to the city council for replacement.

Stokes, a sitting board member, read a prepared statement to the board saying she had filed a formal ethics complaint and would send it to the U.S. Department of Justice and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office. In her remarks she said the board had become “power hungry” and that the district had spent more than half a million dollars of taxpayer money related to personnel departures; she concluded, “I hereby resign from the Rochester School Board effective immediately.”

The departure matters because it reduces the board’s membership and came amid a contentious period of public criticism, social-media accusations and at least one threat that prompted law-enforcement presence at meetings. Chair Shane Downs told the board at the start of the meeting that law enforcement would attend meetings “to ensure order and fairness for all” after “numerous communications via social media” containing accusations and a reported threat.

At the meeting Board member Boyer moved to accept Stokes’s resignation and to forward it to the city council for replacement; the motion passed on a voice vote. Later in the meeting Board member Bollier moved to accept Finza Cormier’s resignation; that motion also passed. The board did not vote on any replacement names during the July 10 session.

Several board members also discussed internal ethics and conduct policies during the meeting. One board member cited sections of the board’s policies — including language restricting individual authority and outlining the chair’s duties — while defending the chair’s actions and the board’s use of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that governs police involvement in discipline. The author of that defense said the MOU “does not allow the police to run our discipline in our schools.”

Tensions continued into public comment. Multiple members of the public praised Stokes and criticized the board; Tabitha Davis, Shari Crowder and Michelle Bernie each addressed the board during the comment period, urging transparency and questioning the use of taxpayer funds for security details. At least one public commenter asked how much the officer at the meeting was being paid and cited a figure of $63 per hour for police presence.

The board also handled two procedural items related to potential litigation and communications. Board member Cusimano moved that the district notify the Seacoast Media Group it would no longer work with reporter Karen Dandren; that motion passed on a voice vote with one recorded nay (Board member Bellows). Cusimano also moved that Susan Rice be required to pay legal fees if the board were found to have done no wrongdoing; board members discussed that proposal and later tabled it to allow the chair to consult with legal counsel. The board then passed a separate motion authorizing the chair to speak with the board’s attorney to get clarity on legal-fee options.

What happens next: the board will forward the two board vacancies to the Rochester City Council for appointment; the chair will consult with legal counsel about litigation and fee issues and report back to the full board. Several public commenters and at least two board members said they are considering running in upcoming elections.