Crawford Central to interview board candidates Friday
Apr. 21—VERNON TOWNSHIP — Crawford Central School Board will conduct interviews Friday as it seeks to fill a seat left vacant by a member's resignation.
Eleven district residents submitted applications to fill the opening, according to board secretary Lisa Pittner, and the members will interview all of the applicants. The vacancy resulted after the departure of Elyse Palmer.
The interviews, which are open to the public, will begin at 5:30 p.m. and last 15 minutes each, President Jan Feleppa said during the board's regular monthly work session Tuesday.
"We have to deliberate until we come to a consensus," she warned her fellow board members, "so it could be a long night."
Each candidate will be asked the same series of questions, according to Feleppa. During and after each interview, board members will rate the candidates' responses to each question on a five-point scale. The ratings will be tabulated after all of the interviews are completed, but Feleppa noted that members are not bound to the scores they assign.
Board members will deliberate publicly regarding which candidate to select.
Tim Sennett, the district's attorney, noted that while the state's school code requires boards to appoint replacements within 30 days of a vacancy occurring, it does not lay out any particular procedure boards must follow in making an appointment.
The district's own policies, however, require interviews, verification of candidates' qualifications and review of interview results, and public deliberation. A majority vote of the eight remaining board members is required to appoint a candidate.
To qualify for the position, candidates must be of good moral character, be at least 18 years of age, and have been a resident of Crawford Central for at least one year prior to the date of their appointment. In addition, appointees cannot be employees of the district or officials in municipalities of the district.
Feleppa said the members plan to come a consensus on which candidate to appoint after deliberating Friday. When the board convenes again Monday for its regular meeting, she said, members will vote on a resolution to appoint that person.
The board also will vote Monday to officially accept Palmer's resignation.
Palmer sent a letter of resignation to the board March 28. A copy of the letter, marked as having been received April 4, was posted to the district's website last week along with the agenda for Tuesday's meeting.
"For both personal and professional reasons, I am unable to fulfill the obligations of the position at this time," Palmer stated in part. "I apologize to the other board members, CCSD students and staff, and the larger community for not being able to do the job I was entrusted to do."
Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at .
