Song resigns from Kent School Board because he’s moving out of town

Published 2:26 pm Monday, April 20, 2026

Andy Song has resigned from the Kent School Board because he is moving out of town after finding a home to buy.

“I have to change my primary location and it’s no longer in Kent so legally I cannot continue to serve,” Song said in an April 20 email to the Kent Reporter, but did not reveal where he is moving.

Song submitted his resignation April 17. Voters elected Song in November 2023 when he ran unopposed. He replaced Joe Bento, who didn’t seek reelection. Song lost a close race in November 2025 for the Kent City Council against Sharn Shoker, who received 50.46% of the vote to 49.10% for Song.

“We had tentative plans to move out of Kent for a few years,” Song said. “After losing council and the timing of the housing market, the opportunities presented encouraged a move to happen earlier than planned. Initially I wanted to finish my term, but as you all know, the housing market is very unpredictable and you have to jump on opportunities when they are right for your circumstances and that timing just happened to be now.”

The four-year term of Song expires in December 2027. The board will eventually take applications for his position and choose a replacement.

Song enjoyed his experience on the five-member board.

“I learned a lot more about the education system in Washington that has me motivated to continue working towards improvements in whatever capacity that might look like,” Song said. “Perhaps research since that’s my background. But I’m not sure what my involvement will look like from here. I value every second I had in this role and will carry the experience forward to serving students and my communities.”

Song joined the board at the same time as Donald Cook. He has observed the ongoing controversies among Cook, Board President Meghin Margel and Superintendent Israel Vela. The conflict has included lawsuits, threats of lawsuits and meeting disruptions.

“I think everyone involved is doing the best they can with what they have,” Song said when asked about the controversies. “I believe each person believes they are fighting or defending the values that are closest to them, and unfortunately the way it’s being expressed is creating mixed public perceptions and opinion. I encourage the community to give grace to everyone involved and that every single detail is not provided to the community, so please be mindful for the board members involved.

“We forget that at the end of the day we’re still human and our mental/emotional health is just as important. Being in public office should not be an excuse for abuse. Please continue to advocate and have thoughts/opinions, but remember that those words still impact real people at the end of the day. But I’m hoping they all find a pathway forward to recenter as much energy back into the students and community as possible. I enjoyed and have learned something different from each board member, and that is invaluable to me.”

Song is chief operating officer for Kids and Family Counseling, with locations in Tacoma and Duvall. In 2024, Puget Sound Business Journal named him one of 40 Under 40 honorees. He said he doesn’t have any current plans to run again for elected office.

“I think I’m going to take a break from politics for a while,” he said. “My strengths are closer to my current professional capacity and I want to focus on further developing in other areas.”