KTKA

"Anytime you have a change, you're obviously going to have a new ingredient thrown into the pie," said Patrick Woods, USD 501 board member. "In this case, having one ingredient taken out."

And that ingredient is Betty Horton.

It was the last meeting for the controversial school board member, who's made racial comments about fellow board member Patrick Woods.

On April 3, Woods sent 49 News an email that quotes Horton in a newspaper as saying "Patrick thinks he's white."

Four days later, Horton apologized for saying, in her words, anything she may have said that offended people.

But the two were forced to put their animosity aside Tuesday, when Woods presented Horton with a plaque for her service to the board.

"It just feels amazing," she said. "It feels great."

Some at the meeting spoke on Horton's behalf and she received a bouquet of roses.

Horton said the controversy surrounding her two-year tenure shows her message was important.

"And that message is that every child is important," she said. "That if we fail one child we failed all children."

Horton and Woods agree race is, and will continue to be an issue in America. But Woods says he's ready to move forward.

"One would be tempted to take these types of things personally, if it were about me," he said. "I know that the 13,800 students we have are more important than me."

Horton lost the April election to Hal Gardner.