School Districts that have difficulty finding qualified residents willing to serve on the Board of Education will now have an easier process for filling vacancies, thanks to legislation sponsored by State Representative Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) that was signed into law on Friday.
SB 2900 provides school districts with an additional tool to ensure school board positions are filled. “Especially in rural districts, vacancies on school boards are often a significant problem,” said Reick. “Given the impact on tax bills that are tied to school district operations, we need to do what we can to help ensure these boards are operating with full membership.”
Through SB 2900, if a school board is forced to fill a vacancy due to a lack of available candidates, the board would then, by resolution, submit a referendum question to voters at the next general election that would allow for the at-large election of a board member from within the boundaries of the school district.
“Obviously, the best scenario is for school boards to be comprised entirely by individuals who meet the residency requirements for the office,” Reick said. “But in the instances when that is not possible, this bill provides a valuable tool to help remedy the problem.”