The governing board for the Castaic Union School District unanimously approved a timeline for appointing a replacement board member at a special meeting on Thursday.
The board called the meeting after a discussion between district Superintendent Bob Brauneisen and the county’s Office of Education led the CUSD to realize the district needed to give the public a chance to weigh in on the process for replacing board president John Richard.
In a letter dated May 2, Richard let the board know he and his family were moving to Virginia for an opportunity to lead a congregation out there.
Richard represents Trustee Area D, which is primarily east of Interstate 5 and the southeastern area of the district. His resignation is effective June 2, and his appointed replacement will serve until the district can place the seat on the next general election in November 2024.
On May 11, the board had a closed session discussion about replacing Richard during a meeting, after which Brauneisen received the impression that members wanted to appoint, according to a previous email to The Signal.
One of the big considerations, he noted, was the high cost of a special election. (For reference, the William S. Hart Union High School District, which is a substantially larger district that covers the entire Santa Clarita Valley, reported this week the cost of a special election to fill its governing-board vacancy would have been approximately $250,000.)
Further conversation between LACOE and Brauneisen resulted in the district agendizing a discussion for the timeline that was approved Thursday and also explained on a website the district created for the vacancy: https://bit.ly/CUSDvacancy.
The application asks residents about their past involvement in the community and the district, how long they’ve lived in the area, if they have children who attend CUSD schools and what skills/talents they’ll bring to the board.
“Applications must be filed at the District Office no later than 4 p.m., Thursday, June 1, 2023,” according to the district’s website. “Only the application and resume will be considered. No letters of support and/or recommendation are needed and will not be part of the file.”
Another special board meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. June 7, when the board will conduct interviews with the qualified applicants. The board also announced it would let candidates know of their scheduled interview time two days prior to the meeting.
“All candidates are encouraged to contact acting Superintendent Bob Brauneisen to schedule time to meet with district staff and current board members,” according to the website.
Remote access through teleconferencing will be considered.
A link to the application is available on the district’s website mentioned above.