School trustee wanted...again

Board sets August 15 deadline for candidates to apply for appointment

COEUR d’ALENE — Coeur d’Alene school trustees officially accepted the resignation of former board chair Sid Fredrickson, and declared a vacancy in the board’s Zone 5 seat during a special meeting on Monday. 

Fredrickson announced his immediate resignation during the board’s July 9 meeting, triggering the appointment process.

The appointee selected will complete the remainder of Frederickson’s term which ends June 30.

“I made my feelings clear at the last meeting that I’d like to move this process forward as quickly as possible,” said Trustee Jim Purtee, at Monday’s meeting. “However, understanding the need, or the desire, of everybody to be fair, instead of trying to push this through so we can fill the position the first meeting in August, I suggest that we fill it by the first meeting in September.”

Idaho Code 33-504 gives school boards 90 days after declaring a vacancy, to fill the vacant seat with a qualified individual residing within the trustee zone. If the seat cannot be filled within 90 days, the board has up to 120 days to select an appointee from at-large within the school district’s boundaries. After 120 days, if the seat has not been filled, the county commissioners are tasked with appointing a trustee.

Tom Hamilton, current board chair, explained the appointment process to the newest members of what should be a five-member board — vice-chair Purtee, who was appointed in April, and Ann Seddon, whose appointment was decided in May.

Trustees Hamilton and Terri Seymour were elected in May 2011 and began serving their terms last summer.

“The typical process has been two to three weeks,” Hamilton said.

The four trustees settled on a timeline that allows nearly a month for applications to be solicited from members of the public, reviewed by board members and then discussed during a public meeting during which time trustees may interview candidates and could select one for appointment.

During Monday’s meeting, Hamilton said that if the trustees don’t like the first round of applications received, they could ask for a second.

Community members interested in applying to be considered for appointment must submit an application by 5 p.m. August 15 to the Clerk of the Board, Lynn Towne, at 311 N. 10th Street, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.

Board member eligibility requires the candidate be a registered voter in the school district with residency in the zone that he or she represents.

Zone 5 encompasses: A northern boundary of Dalton, east of Highway 95; westerly boundary of Highway 95/Lincoln Way; southern boundary of Garden Avenue and eastern boundary following along 15th Street.

The full legal description of Zone 5 is on the school district’s website, as is a detailed map of the zone.

Each candidate’s application packet must include:

• Letter of Interest with contact information (telephone, email and residential address) that includes a statement from the candidate about his or her background; main reasons for applying for the school board trustee position and answers the following question: If appointed, what are your top three objectives? The letter must be typed, double-spaced using a 12-point font and be no more than two pages long.

• Resume

Trustees will review all applications and discuss appointing a candidate at a public meeting scheduled for August 20, Midtown Center, 1505 N. 5th Street.