Silver Falls School District board member Tom Bookle announced he will resign his Zone 7 seat effective Aug. 31. "I'm resigning my Silver Falls school board position for Zone 7 effective August 31," Bookle said during the meeting, adding that business commitments were preventing him from giving the role the time he believes it deserves.

The resignation matters because the board must fill the seat for the remainder of Bookle's term. Board members discussed using the district's existing vacancy process and said it would be handled similarly to past interim appointments: staff will post the vacancy, accept applications (preferably from Zone 7 residents), the board will interview candidates in open session and then vote to appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the term.

Board members noted the district policy on filling vacancies is vague about whether the appointee must come from the vacated zone. One member said the policy uses the term "should" regarding zone residency and recommended the board encourage zone applicants but proceed to a broader pool if none apply. The board discussed timing: an appointment would fill the seat through the next regular board election, when the position would appear on the ballot if the appointed member wishes to keep the seat.

Board members thanked Bookle for 14 years of service and said the resignation allows time to publicize the opening and recruit applicants. Staff said they would post the vacancy on the district website and coordinate application logistics; the board did not take a formal vote on the resignation during the meeting.

For residents: the board expects to publicize the vacancy, accept applications from Zone 7 and then interview candidates in open session before voting on an appointment. The district noted it is not required to immediately fill the seat and may operate with six members for a time while recruitment proceeds.