Beth Chavez, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, stepped down from her position on the board to spend more time with her family, she said. Although her doctors tell her she's in good shape, Chavez has to take periodic trips to Houston for treatment and said she is planning on taking a cruise to Alaska at some point.

"I worked hard to retire, so I might as well enjoy it," she said.

Chavez has been on the school board since 2007, when she unseated incumbent James Chavez, winning by 16 votes. When she ran, she said, one of her messages was that people should listen to their children.

"My issue was to take care of the kids that came to the school," she said. Sometimes they didn't get the attention they needed. … I really do believe we need to do more for the kids that go to school (in the district)."

Chavez and all four of her children graduated from Moriarty High School, and all her children played sports, she said. She added that, in the 1970s, she went to the high school with Phil Anaya, the school board chairman, and watched board member Mike Anaya graduate from the school in the 1990s.

She's seen the district change over time, growing steadily until around 1999, then experiencing a decline in enrollment for the past 10 years or so. That decline may have stopped, she said, adding that she wondered what might be going on in the area.

"It used to be where people were moving out of the big city because they didn't want their kids in trouble," she said. "I don't know if people are out here because they don't have another place to go. … Are people having tons more kids? I just don't know what the answer is."

Regardless, she said, she said her children received a good education, and feels that the district should concentrate on teaching children to believe in themselves and to make a difference in the world.

She said she wanted to get the district back to the way it once was, the way she remembers it being when one of her sons, Manuel, graduated in 1997.

"It's very emotional for me to resign (from the school board)," she said. "I just don't want to take my time away from my family, if I can be here."

The Moriarty-Edgewood School Board is seeking applicants for the vacancy. The selected board member will serve the remainder of Chavez's term, from April 20 through Feb. 15, 2011. The seat is open to registered voters inside the boundaries of District 2, which includes Moriarty, Stanley and Clines Corners. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. April 1.

Applicants should submit a letter of interest highlighting qualities and contributions, and a résumé with background and work experience to the superintendent's office, 200 Center St., Moriarty. Submissions are also accepted by mail at P.O. Box 2000, Moriarty, NM 87035, or e-mailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The school board will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, to interview finalists, then appoint a replacement April 20. Contact Cecilia Williams, 832-5802, for more information, including the boundaries for District 2.