Lower Merion School Board member Jennifer Rivera resigned Wednesday, Aug. 26, two days after being charged with felony theft from a former employer.

Rivera submitted her resignation letter late Wednesday, district spokesperson Amy Buckman told Patch. Once the resignation takes effect, the remaining board members will have 30 days under Pennsylvania law to appoint a replacement from among qualified district voters. Buckman said the resignation is still pending an administrative process.

"There are steps in a process that need to be followed when a board director tenders a resignation, and the district is following those steps," Buckman said.

Rivera, 41, of Bala Cynwyd, turned herself in to Lower Merion Police on Monday, Aug. 24, and was arraigned on four counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property and access device fraud. All are third-degree felonies tied to the alleged theft of $50,243.31 from SMB, a Bala Cynwyd law-firm marketing agency where she previously worked.

She was released on $25,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is set for 10 a.m. Sept. 2 before Magisterial District Judge Karen Eisner Zucker.

According to the Montgomery County District Attorney's office, the alleged scheme began in September 2024 when Rivera used a company-issued credit card for personal expenses. Prosecutors say the spending included more than $25,000 on a vacation for Rivera, family and friends; $9,065 in company American Express points for a future Bahamas trip; $23,596 in unauthorized Amazon purchases; and $1,339 paid to a colleague to film a Bar Mitzvah for a friend.

None of the charges relate to the school district or its finances, the DA's office said. The district serves approximately 8,533 students across 11 schools, including Lower Merion High School and Harriton High School.

Rivera was elected in November 2025 as part of the ElectLMSD Democratic slate and was in the first year of a four-year term. She served as co-chair of the board's Curriculum Committee and sat on its Facilities & Purchasing Committee.

Two days before the resignation, board president Kerry Sautner said in a statement on Aug. 24 that she had "not had an opportunity to discuss Ms. Rivera's future on the School Board with her." While "anyone charged with a crime remains innocent until proven guilty," Sautner added, the board needed to "consider the potential impact of this situation on our Board."

Rivera has not responded to media inquiries, and her defense attorney declined to comment.

The board's Curriculum Committee is scheduled to meet Sept. 14. The full board's next meeting follows approximately two weeks later. The 2026-27 school year begins Sept. 8.