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Belgrade School Board appoints Steven Mueller to fill vacant trustee seat
Summary
After interviewing five finalists for a seat vacated effective Aug. 29, the Belgrade School Board voted to appoint Steven Mueller to serve as trustee through May 2026 following a public ranking and roll-call process.
The Belgrade School Board voted at a public meeting to appoint Steven Mueller to the vacant trustee seat that became effective Aug. 29. The panel conducted a series of five public interviews and ranked the finalists before moving to a formal motion and vote to fill the position through May 2026.
The vacancy arose after the board declared the seat open and solicited letters of interest; officials said they received six letters and proceeded with five interviews after one applicant withdrew. After hearing each candidate and discussing priorities—including the district's near-term financing needs, community engagement and institutional knowledge—the board ranked the candidates and then moved to a motion to appoint Mueller.
Board members described the selection process publicly before casting rankings. As one member summarized the board's assessment of the field during deliberations, "We have an exceptional group of candidates," but the board emphasized the value of experience and community-engagement skills in a trustee who will help the district with bond and levy efforts.
Steven Mueller, who told the board he has long experience in public education governance and strategic planning, emphasized financing as a core challenge. "I see you, frankly, struggling, with finances," he said during his interview, arguing that community outreach and clear stewardship of funds are critical to winning voter support for bonds. Board members cited that background when they announced the tabulation and called for a motion to appoint him.
A motion to appoint Steven Mueller until May 2026 was made, seconded and carried in the public vote. The board chair announced that the motion "carries" and congratulated Mueller on the appointment.
The appointee will serve the remainder of the term through May 2026. The board said it would make the ranking forms public as part of the meeting record and read the final tallies aloud before the motion. No additional administrative or procedural steps for seating the appointee were described during the meeting.
The board also thanked all finalists for their time, noting the district will continue outreach and planning ahead of upcoming bond and levy work.
