Court order forces board to cancel special meeting

PRIEST RIVER - An emergency temporary restraining order was granted late Friday afternoon, barring the West Bonner County School District from making any changes to its board of trustees or its superintendent's authority before the recall of board chair Keith Rutledge and vice chair Susan Brown becomes official next week.

The order put end to a special board meeting set for Friday with agenda items that included dissolving the current board of trustees, turning the meeting over to Superintendent Branden Durst and then electing a new board chairman.

Voters recalled Rutledge and Brown in an election Tuesday.

"The results become official at the completion of the canvass by the Board of Canvassers," said Secretary of State Phil McGrane in a statement released Friday, prior to the scheduled school board meeting. "The canvass will take place on Thursday, September 7th, 2023, at 10 a.m. in Bonner County."