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Board appoints Stephen Thomas and Paul Robbins Jr. to fill two Ketchikan school board vacancies
Summary
After interviewing seven candidates, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board appointed Stephen Thomas and Paul Robbins Jr. to two open seats on April 23; both took the oath of office at the meeting.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District Board of Education appointed Stephen Thomas and Paul Robbins Jr. to fill two vacancies on April 23 after a multi‑stage selection process that reduced seven candidates to three finalists.
President Catherine Tatsuta described the appointment process at the meeting: board members first ranked their top three candidates using a points system to produce a top three. The board then held a second secret ballot in which members listed their top two candidates; each candidate needed a majority to be appointed. Thomas and Robbins received the necessary majorities and were sworn in at the meeting by Superintendent Michael Robbins.
Tatsuta read the oath of office and the new members repeated the pledge to support and defend the U.S. and Alaska constitutions and to “honestly, faithfully and impartially discharge my duties as school board member to the best of my ability.”
Both appointees have prior ties to the district. Stephen Thomas told the board during his candidate interview that he previously taught vocational classes in the district and has two children and multiple grandchildren in local schools. Paul Robbins Jr. served on the board previously — he said he had been appointed for a short term and later elected for three years, including two years through the COVID period. Robbins noted prior service on the board’s policy committee and described his professional background in public relations.
The board also conducted candidate interviews earlier in the meeting. Interviewed applicants spoke about community engagement, volunteer work, and experience in business and education. Board members said they appreciated the strong candidate pool and encouraged those not selected to run in the fall election.
The motion to appoint both Thomas and Robbins was adopted by roll call; the clerk recorded unanimous approval. Following the appointments, the board recessed for a brief period to allow the new members to be sworn in, then returned to business.
The board reopened committee membership assignments and asked new members to submit preferences; committee assignments will be ratified at the next meeting.
The appointments fill the two seats through the remainder of the 2025 term; elections in the fall will determine longer terms for those seats.
