Board votes to fill trustee vacancy by provisional appointment, sets short recruitment timeline
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Summary
Following the resignation of Trustee Cleveland Johnson, the board acknowledged the vacancy and voted to fill Trustee Area 3 by provisional appointment; trustees agreed to a tight recruitment window with candidate interviews tentatively scheduled for Feb. 25.
The Moreno Valley Unified School District Board of Education acknowledged the retirement of Trustee Cleveland Johnson (effective Jan. 26, 2026) and voted to fill the Trustee Area 3 vacancy by provisional appointment rather than waiting for a special election.
Board clerk Claudia explained statutory deadlines: the board must act within 60 days to appoint or the county will call a special election, which would leave the seat vacant for approximately 10 months. After discussion the board moved and approved a provisional appointment route. "If the board does decide to go with option 2, there is a timeline... our timeline is very, very tight," the clerk said, listing recruitment and posting dates.
Trustees set a tentative timeline: the application window would open Feb. 2 and close Feb. 17, with the board planning a special meeting to interview candidates on Feb. 25 at 5:00 p.m. The board emphasized fairness in the process and will follow the posted application form and eligibility checks. Public commenters before the vote had urged a special election, arguing voters should select a replacement; others urged a prompt appointment to avoid an unrepresented trustee area.
The board recorded its vote to proceed with a provisional appointment and to adopt the timeline in the minutes; staff will publish application materials and manage the registrar of voters' required checks prior to interviews.