Modesto City Schools board will fill empty seat with appointment

The Modesto City Schools board will appoint a trustee to fill the seat vacated by Rubén Villalobos. The vote was unanimous to appoint, rather than hold a special election at district expense. The seat will be up for election as a two-year seat in November.

Applications are due to the district office by noon Jan. 20. Find applications online at www.mcs4kids.com or at the office, 426 Locust St. Board members receive a $765 per month stipend and a contribution toward health benefits.

Public interviews of all eligible applicants will be held at board meetings at 4 p.m. Jan. 26, Jan. 29 and, if needed, Feb. 2. By law, the board has until Feb. 3 to make its choice.

Much of Thursday’s meeting was spent going over the questions for candidates, all but one of which they will be given in advance.

At the suggestion of trustee Jordan Dickson, the board gave student member Riley Noland the chance to submit a question. Noland will work with other high school student leaders and bring his question to the Jan. 26 meeting for adoption.

Would-be trustees will have two minutes to answer his and eight other questions covering a range of issues, including school safety, use of technology, community input on spending, Common Core and their vision for the future.

Villalobos resigned, effective Sunday, to become a Stanislaus Superior Court judge. First elected in 2009, he was re-elected in 2013.

The board’s selection will be a provisional appointment. Barring an organized voter protest, the chosen candidate becomes a full-fledged trustee 30 days later. The post is open to those living within the high school district boundary and registered to vote for at least 30 days.

This story was originally published January 8, 2015 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Modesto City Schools board will fill empty seat with appointment."