Local News in Brief : 1 School Election Must Wait

The Inglewood school district will not be able to fill both of its school board vacancies in the June 7 election, according to county education officials.

A special election is scheduled June 7 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of board member Ernest Shaw last September. When board member Rosemary Benjamin resigned Feb. 15, citing personal reasons, the board hoped to fill that vacancy in the June 7 election as well.

But Los Angeles County Board of Education spokesman Mark Forgy said Thursday that it is too late to put a second election on the June ballot. Instead, the second school board election will be consolidated with the Nov. 8 presidential and state general election, Forgy said.

The state Education Code requires a school district to notify county officials of its intent to hold an election not less than 130 days before an election, Forgy said. Benjamin’s resignation came after that deadline.

The terms for both vacancies expire in April, 1989, Forgy said. Former police chief Joseph Rouzan was appointed to replace Shaw in November, but a petition drive by citizens’ groups terminated that appointment and forced an election.

The filing deadline for the June 7 election is March 11. Rouzan, former board member W. R. (Tony) Draper, former board candidate Larry Aubry and former City Council candidate Claude Lataillade are among those considering election bids.