SCHOOL BOARD TO ACCEPT LETTERS OF INTEREST TO FILL VACANCY

[marklingm]

December 4, 2008


Due to the resignation of W. Charles Geiger III, a vacancy will occur on the Lakewood Board of Education on December 31, 2008. Per Board Policy & Bylaws and the Ohio Revised Code, the four remaining Board Members will select a replacement.

Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest to:

Vice President
Lakewood Board of Education
1470 Warren Road
Lakewood, Ohio 44107

Letters must be received by noon on December 31, 2008.

Letters should include the individual’s qualifications, home address, length of Lakewood residency, and involvement in school activities or organizations. The Board intends to conduct interviews and fill the vacancy on or before January 30, 2009.

Sincerely,

Edward Favre, Vice President
Linda Beebe, Member
Matthew John Markling, Member
Betsy Shaughnessy, Member

This announcement can also be viewed online by clicking here.

[stephen davis]

Matt,

In Lakewood, every other year, 2 or 3 board seats come up for election/re-election. The top 2 or 3 vote getters win the corresponding number of seats available for a 4 year term.

In the 2009 election there will be 3 seats up for election/re-election. 2 of those will be for a 4 year term, and 1 will be available for a 2 year term.

Will there be separate elections for the one 2 year seat and the two 4 year seats on the ballot?

Can, or should, a candidate run for both?

I will not be a candidate, but I'm sure that any potential candidate would want to know this. Voters will also need to understand the difference.

Steve


.

[marklingm]

Steve,

From what I have been told ....

Will there be separate elections for the one 2 year seat and the two 4 year seats on the ballot?

Yes.

Can, or should, a candidate run for both?

No.

Matt

[stephen davis]

Matt,

Thanks.

That should add some interesting variables to the next School Board election.


Steve


.

[Jim O'Bryan]

That should add some interesting variables to the next School Board election.

I would hope that one variable that could be stricken right now is looking away from anyone with a "regional perspective" or "agenda." Lakewood has worked very hard and paid greatly for the Lakewood Library and the new schools. To see these trickle away to a regional operation would be nothing short of criminal.

Ken Warrem Suzanne Metleko, and Jeff Endress have had to stave off regional runs at the library many times.

We built them to make Lakewood better, not to fuel the regional economy.

FWIW

.

[marklingm]

FWIW. The Ohio School Boards Association has information on its website summarizing “boardmanshipâ€￾ and related school board member issues. That information can be reached by clicking here.

[marklingm]

Lakewood schools are hiring. The job doesn't pay much, hours can be long and the work is demanding. To top if it off, there is only one vacancy. But there probably won't be any shortage of applicants.

***

"It's our intent not to open any (letters) until we receive them all," board member Betsy Shaughnessy said.

***

The outgoing Geiger will not participate in the selection, according to Shaughnessy. That raises the possibility of the four remaining members splitting on a replacement, with the decision referred to probate court for an ultimate decision.

***

The board has requested that those seeking consideration for the open seat send letters of interest to Vice President, Lakewood Board of Education, 1470 Warren Road, Lakewood, OH 44107. The letter should also include the applicant's home address, qualifications, length of residency in Lakewood and any past involvement in school activities or organizations.

***

To read all of the above article, please click here.

[marklingm]

Several individuals have asked me about the qualifications for a board member. Board policy simply states the following:

Each member of the Board shall meet the qualifications specified by law and courts of competent authority.

Those qualifications are generally outlined in R.C. 3313.02 and R.C. 3313.13. Interested individuals may want to place a call to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to confirm specific qualifications.

And, the process for filling a board vacancy due to a resignation is as follows:

Whenever a vacancy occurs, the Board shall fill the vacancy at its next regular or special meeting but not earlier than ten (10) days after the vacancy occurs.

The Board shall take the following steps to fill the vacancy:

• A. The Board shall seek qualified and interested candidates from the community through the news media, word of mouth, and contacts with appropriate organizations.
  
  B. All applicants are to submit a notice of their interest, in writing.
  
  C. The Board shall interview all interested candidates to ascertain their qualifications.

Appointment by the Board to fill a vacancy shall be by majority vote of the remaining members of the Board.

If the Board fails to appoint a member to its Board within thirty (30) days after the vacancy occurs, the probate court of the county, upon being advised of the failure to fill the vacancy shall act as the Board and perform the duties imposed upon the Board.

The newly-appointed Board member selected to fill a vacancy shall serve the shorter of the following periods:

• A. until completion of the unexpired term, or
  
  B. until the first day of January immediately following the next regular Board of Education election taking place more than ninety (90) days after a person is selected to fill the vacancy. At that election, a special election to fill the vacancy will be held. However, no such special election shall be held if the unexpired term ends on or before the first day of January immediately following that regular Board election.

Whenever there is a need to have a special Board election to fulfill an unexpired term, the Board shall give written notice to the Board of Elections. The term of a member elected at such a special election shall begin the first day of January immediately following the special Board election and shall be for the balance of the unexpired term.

[Missy Limkemann]

I still wish I felt qualified to run. I really dont do the PTA/PTO thing because I am the room mom for my son's class. I do the field trips, the class parties and have been involved in that class for the past 6 years. know those kids personally and have seen the best and the worst. They know me, Frankie and to have a special needs child hug you to thank you for their presents is amazing. To me helping that class out has given me more in my life than anything else in this world. Ok I need to go hug Pat again.