According to Hamilton Southeastern Schools, 24 people have submitted applications to fill the school board term of Mike Bottorff, who resigned from the board citing family responsibilities as the reason. The deadline to apply was 4 p.m. last Friday. So, the question is, what happens next?
The school board met in executive session Monday in order to determine a set of three to five finalists. The names of those finalists will be announced either before or during the public board meeting to be held today after the private session. Those finalists will be interviewed by school board members at a public meeting set for 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18 at the school administration building. Board members plan to act as a panel in questioning the candidates.
The board will hold a vote at the June 26 regular board meeting naming the new board member. It is not known when the new school board member will be sworn in. Under state law, when there is a vacancy on a school board, the remaining board members vote on the replacement.
There are six HSE school board members remaining. If there would be a tie vote on naming a replacement for Mr. Bottorff, or the board could not agree on the new board member, a Circuit Court judge would make the decision. The Circuit Court judge in Hamilton County is Judge Paul Felix.
The new board member will serve the remaining term for the Fall Creek Township at-large seat. That seat is up for re-election in the fall of 2020.