Board discusses recruitment options for vacant District 2 seat

Board members discussed plans to fill the vacancy in District 2 after staff reported that individuals who had inquired about the seat do not reside in that district.

Superintendent Brez told the board that several people had "reach[ed] out and engage[d] in a discussion about the position" but that the district's residency checks showed they were not in District 2. Brez asked the board for guidance on recruitment expectations and whether staff should take a more active outreach approach.

Board members described practical barriers to applicants, noting difficulty finding the district's map on the website and saying the map is hard to use and to zoom. One board member described driving the District 2 boundary to identify potential candidates and suggested that staff could "tap them on the shoulder" to determine interest. Another board member preferred waiting an additional meeting cycle to allow people who want to apply to self-identify rather than actively recruiting or "egg[ing] somebody on."

Staff said they would make the vacancy more visible on the district website and run additional social media outreach. Brez said the district would provide the board with names of people who have reached out so members can verify residency and follow up.

Board members noted timing pressure: the district has 90 days to fill a vacancy, and the board said May will bring internal decisions about which incumbents will run again for November, creating urgency to build a candidate pool.

No appointment was made at the meeting; staff will continue outreach and bring candidate names forward when the application and interview process is ready.