CHESAPEAKE — Right now it’s in the hands of the Chesapeake Board of Education who will be the new member on the school board.

On April 6, then school board president Bill Pratt submitted his letter of resignation to Dr. Mike Dyer, board member.

The day before, Pratt was appointed to the Lawrence County Commission by the Republican Central Committee during a two-hour meeting where Pratt, Rome Township businesswoman Marsha Imhoff, Ohio University Southern professor David Lucas and others battled for the post. Pratt took over after Jason Stephens was elected county auditor in November.

“It has been a pleasure to serve with the board and the Chesapeake staff,” Pratt wrote in his resignation letter. “I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity. I will miss serving the people of Chesapeake in this capacity, but I am encouraged that my role as commissioner will enhance my ability to serve Chesapeake and the entire Lawrence County community.”

Pratt, who was elected to the school board in November of 2009, was president of the board when it voted in a special session on March 31 to put Superintendent Scott Howard on paid administrative leave. That followed allegations Howard used school computers and staff to create a draft of a brochure for a proposed student leadership program for the Greater Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.

Howard’s attorney Richard Meyers said that the superintendent admitted to using school property for the brochure at the special board meeting.

Following his appointment to the commission Pratt said it was his responsibility to investigate any allegations brought before the school board. He declined to make any additional comment that night.

“There will be the time,” he said.

The school board placed Howard on administrative leave with pay temporarily following a motion from school board member David Bennett.

“(Howard) needs to be available for questioning about legal matters and/or school activity and we will be asking the Local County Superintendent (Dr. James Payne) to take over responsibility while the investigation is ongoing,” according to the minutes of the meeting.

Portsmouth attorney Dan Ruggiero was hired by the board to investigate and expects to have a report within a week.

“The board members can replace (Pratt),” Eric Bradshaw, deputy director of the county board of education, said. “If they don’t come to an agreement after 30 days, the probate judge (David Payne) appoints one.”

The new member must have the approval of two-thirds of the board before he or she can join that body. That person will have to run in November to finish the unexpired term of Pratt, which is up in 2013.

The terms of Kim Oxley, Mike Dyer and David Bennett are up this year. The term of the remaining member, Jerry Osborne, is up in 2013.

So far Chesapeake businessman, Doug Marcum, is the only one to have picked up a petition to run for the school board.

The board’s regularly scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. Monday with an executive session with board counsel on the agenda. Right now Dyer, board vice president, is acting president.