Board declares vacancy after elected member declines seat; applications to be posted
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Summary
The board announced Melissa Goldberg will not take her seat; the board declared a vacancy, will post it immediately (target close ~Jan. 26), interview candidates publicly Feb. 3, and must fill the seat within a 65-day statutory window or risk county intervention.
At the reorganization meeting, board leadership announced that Melissa Goldberg, though listed among the November winners, has chosen not to be sworn in and will not take her seat.
President Cohen said the board would declare the vacancy and begin the process to fill it. Administrators were instructed to post the vacancy promptly, with a two-week application window (the board discussed a target closing date around Jan. 26) and to publish the notice on the district website, social media and in the Asbury Park Press. The board said it aims to interview candidates in public at its Feb. 3 workshop meeting and to potentially swear an appointee immediately after selection, depending on process and precedent.
Board members noted they have 65 days to fill the vacancy; if the board does not act within that period, the county superintendent may step in to fill the seat. The board described its intent to retain local control by moving quickly and running the selection process publicly.
The board did not name or specify a short-list of candidates during the meeting; one board member who had been a candidate, Valentina Mendez, said she would apply and asked for a fair process. The district office will post application instructions and timelines as directed by the board.