School board member Amanda Santos has been tapped to fill a vacancy on the Lawrence Township Council that was created by the resignation of former Township Councilman John Ryan on April 15.
Santos was chosen unanimously to fill the vacancy at the Township Council’s May 6 meeting. She was one of three nominees for the opening Ryan’s term would have expired in December 2027.
Santos resigned from the school board immediately after the vote. State law does not permit a person to serve on the school board and the governing body of the municipality at the same time.
Township Councilman Christopher Bobbitt held the Bible as Santos was sworn into office by Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello. She took her seat on the dais with the rest of the Township Council members.
Santos has lived in Lawrence for 13 years. She had served on the Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education since 2021, when she was appointed to fill out a vacancy. She won election to a full three-year term in November 2022.
Santos had served as school board vice president since 2023. Her term would have expired in January 2026.
Now, school district officials will have to advertise the vacancy on the school board and choose a replacement for Santos.
