Board provisionally appoints Zachary Kaikundal to Trustee Area 3

After interviewing one candidate in open session, the Weaver Union School District board provisionally appointed Zachary Kaikundal to the vacant Trustee Area 3 seat. The board announced the term will begin Dec. 19, 2024, and end Dec. 11, 2026.

Board members interviewed Kaikundal in public about his priorities for the district and his understanding of the board's duties. Kaikundal told trustees he was motivated by his family's ties to the district and said he wanted to advance goals already laid out in the district's Local Control and Accountability Plan. "I would like to help the board move towards some of the goals that are noted within the LCAP," he said during the interview, adding that he would look for sustainable ways to fund student mental-health services.

Trustees asked about the Brown Act and how Kaikundal would engage parents and community members outside of meetings. He said he understood that meeting notices and public documents must be posted in advance and emphasized listening to stakeholders and making documentation accessible. The board then moved to appoint Kaikundal and voted to approve the provisional appointment. The board announced the motion was made by Miss Lewis and seconded by Jose Munoz; the vote to approve was carried as recorded by the board.

The appointment fills the seat vacated when the prior trustee chose not to run in the last election; county procedures set the provisional term to run until the next election. The board said Kaikundal will be sworn in at a later public meeting.

The board's action followed the district's posted process for provisional appointments and took place in open session as required by state law.