Three-term Cobb County school board member Teresa Plenge said Tuesday she will not be standing for re-election for a fourth term after all, citing health reasons.

Plenge had said last month that she intended to run to retain her Post 7 seat in south Cobb. But after conferring with her doctor, Plenge said that she is going to have to slow down to manage pain and fatigue associated with osteoarthritis and degenerative scoliosis which has worsened since cancer surgery in December 2006.

"I had every intention of running, but I'm not going to be able to do that," she said Tuesday in an interview. "The fatigue factor is a big one. I have to balance work and rest very carefully on a daily basis."

Plenge said she plans to continue teaching full time as a speech language pathologist in Cherokee County.

Plenge said longtime family friend Ron Younker, a Republican, was considering running for her seat. "If he does decide to run, I will put my full support behind him," she said. Younker is an executive with The Southern Co. He and his wife, Pam, have two children who graduated from Cobb County schools, Plenge said.

Alison Bartlett, a Democrat, is another name that has surfaced as a possible candidate, Plenge said. Qualifying is April 28-May 2. The primary will be July 15 and the general election on Nov. 4.