Prince William School Board chairman resigns in mid-term, for personal & professional reasons

After serving a little more than half the term to which he was elected, Ryan Sawyers, Chairman-at-large of the Prince William County School Board, resigned his position today, March 7. HIs resignation was sent in a letter written to Lillie Jessie, the school board’s vice chairman who also represents the Occoquan District.

He also announced his resignation on his Facebook page.  In his Facebook page announcement, Sawyers indicated that he was “proud of our accomplishments in just over two years worth [sic] of work.”

Sawyers was elected as chairman-at-large in November 2015 and took office in January 2016. His term was for four years, expiring Dec. 31, 2019. He was the first democrat in the county’s history to win the elected chairman’s seat.

He said that he was “honored and humbled” to have served the “community and to have met so many great teachers, negihbors, counselors, bus drivers, and community activists.”

Sawyers had also been making a run for the 1st District democratic nomination for Congress; however, he suspended that campaign on Feb. 27 in a statement that indicated “personal and professional reasons.”

In his resignation letter to Jessie, Sawyers thanked everyone who took “an active role” in helping him fight the “good fight” and indicated that he felt he had many successes in his two-year tenure as chairman including protecting the “LGBTQ community in our schools,” step increases for employees and removing the name of a “racist governor” from a middle school, along with several others.

During his tenure as chairman, Sawyers was embroiled in several lawsuits and a recall effort during elections in November 2017.

Again, he concluded that he was resigning due to “personal and professional reasons” and wished Jessie “good luck” in working to improve the school system.