The Monroe County Community School Corporation board is in the process of filling a board seat left open with the Jan. 25 death of Keith Klein.
Klein had held the District 5 seat since 2009.
According to Indiana code 20-26-4-4.5, “If a vacancy in a school board office exists because of the death of a school board member, the remaining members of the governing body shall meet and select an individual to fill the vacancy.” State statute also gives the board 30 days to fill the vacancy.
MCCSC School Board President Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer said Klein will be missed on the board.
"It’s going to be missing there with his perspective of being a board member for so long, understanding the roles, seeing so much history of what’s happened in and around our schools," she said.
The board is not yet allowed to disclose the names of the applicants, but Fuentes-Rohwer was hopeful for the options they received. Applications for the seat were due Feb. 8 and applicants must live in district five.
Fuentes-Rohwer said the six board members who will make the decision are each very different.
"Each of us and what we bring to the table and thinking out loud and figuring out what we think would be the best fit for our board," she said.
Candidates will be interviewed by the board Feb. 16 and 17. Board members will then review applications in a private executive session and could swear in the new member at the board meeting on Feb. 23.
The deadline for them to come to a decision is Feb. 25. The new board member will serve until 2024.
