Commissioners prepare to appoint school trustee

The Kootenai County board of commissioners will begin accepting letters of interest and resumes from candidates interested in being appointed to the vacant position on the Coeur d'Alene School District's board of trustees.

The window to apply for appointment opens Friday and ends April 13.

"This process is setting a precedent in Kootenai County and we look forward to working with the trustees in a spirit of collaboration and cooperation," wrote the commissioners' office in a statement released Wednesday.

Applications will be accepted from all of the zones within District 271.

Preference will be given to applicants from within Zone 1. Only Zone 1 residents will be able to stand for election in May of 2013.

The interviews will be conducted by the Board of County Commissioners and the four trustees of District 271.

The specifics of the interview process will be finalized in the very near future. The final decision of appointment will be the sole responsibility of the Board of County Commissioners.

The public will be invited to attend but there will not be any public testimony taken at the interviews.

The Board of County Commissioners is mandated by Idaho Statute 33-504 to appoint school board trustees if there is a vacancy that exceeds 120 days.

Coeur d’Alene School District 271 announced a vacancy in Trustee Zone 1 in May 2011.

 The person appointed to fill the vacancy will be the trustee until June 30, 2013 when the current term expires. The appointee has the option to run for election to a full term per the statutes and ordinances that govern District 271 elections along with other candidates in May of 2013.