St. Helens board declares vacancy for Position 3, sets application and interview timeline

The St. Helens School District Board of Directors voted to declare board Position 3 vacant and outlined a public timetable for filling the seat. The board approved posting an application on Dec. 12, closing the application window Dec. 23, conducting review and screening Dec. 30–Jan. 6, and holding interviews with appointment action in open session on Jan. 8.

Why this matters: The vacancy triggers a public appointment process under board policy BBE and ORS 341.335. Board members discussed several options for screening candidates, including a subcommittee with at least one community representative and an objective scoring rubric to reduce applicants to five finalists for the board to interview.

Procedures and checks: Board members confirmed applicants must be registered voters and residents of the district for at least one year immediately prior to appointment, consistent with policy and statute. Background checks and fingerprinting will be completed prior to swearing in an appointee. District staff said both electronic and hard-copy application options will be available.

Motion and outcome: A board member moved to declare Position 3 vacant; the motion was seconded and approved with ayes recorded. The board directed staff to post the application on the district landing page and to assemble a screening process to narrow applicants if more than five apply.

Next steps: Applications post Dec. 12 and close Dec. 23; screening and review Dec. 30–Jan. 6; interviews and appointment in open session on Jan. 8. The board recommended using a screening committee and objective scoring to select up to five finalists for the full board to interview publicly.