MARYSVILLE — After the recent resignations of two members of the Marysville School District Board of Directors, a school district steering committee is working with the Northwest Educational Service District to identify and recruit prospective Board members in a proactive manner.

The Board met with representatives of the NWESD Aug. 23 to review Board replacement procedures recommended by the NWESD and the district’s 15-member Board Recruitment Steering Committee.

Washington state law calls for the remaining Board members to appoint replacement Board members within 90 days. Those appointed Board members will serve until the next regular school district elections, held during the summer and fall of 2011, at which time successors will be elected to serve the remainders of those unexpired terms.

The vacant positions are for the directors of districts 4 and 5, the southern and eastern portions of the district, within which the respective applicants must reside. A description and map of those areas is available on the school district website at www.msvl.k12.wa.us, or from the Snohomish County Elections Office at 425-388-3444.

The broad-based steering committee, representing different constituencies across the Marysville schools, met on Aug. 19 to review legal requirements, recommendations from the state school board association and findings from interviews with school boards recognized for their success in such processes. Joan Watt, a longtime educator and 39-year Marysville resident, is facilitating the process for the NWESD. During a Sept. 2 meeting with local media, she explained that the five selection criteria for appointed Board members will be their commitment to the position’s responsibilities, their ability and willingness to work as a team, their focus on student achievement, their capacity for respectful and open-minded communication, and their records of leadership within the community.

Watt proposed that the Board conduct two public forums at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 9 and 14, and interview candidates on Oct. 4. The Board agreed with the recommendation that the steering committee be invited to sit in on the interviews and give written feedback on the candidates. The Oct. 4 Board meeting will be abbreviated to consent agenda items only, allowing time for the candidate interviews to be held during the public session. The Board will then meet in executive session to discuss the interview results and written feedback from the steering committee. The appointed Board members will be announced prior to the Oct. 18 Board meeting, during which the appointees’ oaths of office will be administered.

The Marysville School Board holds regular board meetings on the first and third Mondays of each month. Board meetings typically last three hours and take two to three hours of preparation time to review each packet of action items. Work study sessions are held on many, if not most, of the remaining Mondays each month. These sessions provide more opportunities for the Board to discuss upcoming issues. Board representation at special events such as dedications and graduations, along with school visits, also takes a significant amount of time.

Residents interested in applying may contact Jodi Runyon by phone at 360-653‐0800 or via e-mail at Jodi_Runyon@msvl.k12.wa.us. Please provide your name, address and telephone number. An application will be mailed to you. Questions and comments about the process may also be directed to the Marysville School District Superintendent’s Office at the same phone number. Applications are due to the district office by 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 24.