IRVINE : School Board Talks of Filling Vacancy

School board President Margie Wakeham announced Wednesday that she favors appointing someone to fill a vacant seat on the board because a special election for the post would be too costly.

Irvine Unified School District officials estimated that an election would cost $80,000 to $125,000--money that Wakeham said would be better spent in the classroom.

The board discussed the issue Tuesday night and will take it up again next month, once board member Greg Smith has taken a seat on the Irvine City Council.

“There is only a year remaining in (Smith’s) term. By the time of an election, there would be quite a bit less time than that,” said Wakeham. “To go to this expense during tough economic times in my view would be wasteful.”

The Irvine Teachers Assn. sent the district a letter this week saying that while an election was the union’s “first choice,” it would accept an appointment process if “all interested parties,” including parents and employees, are given a voice.

The school board has 60 days from the time Smith submits his resignation to either call an election or make an appointment. Petitioners could force an election if they collected 900 signatures, representing about 1.5% of Irvine’s registered voters.

Money to pay for an election would come from the district’s general fund, said Supt. David E. Brown.

Wakeham supports an open appointment process in which residents submit questions to be asked of candidates. She also suggested that the PTA or district hold a televised candidates’ forum.

Steve Garretson, president of Irvine Teachers Assn., said that anything less than a consensus appointment might prompt a petition drive by residents. It is easier to force a special election to fill a vacant school board seat than to do so for a City Council post, which requires 7,000 signatures.

Petitioners collected the required number of signatures this summer to force a council election this November to fill a vacancy created when William A. (Art) Bloomer resigned. Wakeham doubted a petition drive would occur for Smith’s seat, noting that school board elections prompt less interest than City Council elections.