Starr Belvin, who represents the York Magisterial District on the Gloucester County School Board, announced Tuesday that she will resign her board seat effective July 1.

In a statement, Belvin said she has weighed the decision to depart for almost a year, torn between her responsibilities here and her children in North Carolina. "They have wanted me to make this move for a very long time and while it was a hard decision for me to make on many levels, I am sure it is the right decision for my children and me," she said.

"Gloucester has been my home for almost 40 years and will continue to feel like home to my family and me," Belvin added. "My late husband always said, ‘Family Comes First,’ and this is a time in my life that my family needs to come first and be together."

Belvin’s husband, the late E. Stanley Belvin Jr., served on the school board for 10 years until his death in the fall of 2006. His wife was appointed by the board ...