Two vacancies remain for Fairfield school board

Thursday was Iowa?s deadline for school board candidates to file for the Sept. 10 election but the day came and went in Fairfield where two vacant seats had no candidates file.

Three of the seven school board positions in Fairfield Community School District expire in September. Those three seats are currently filled by Jennifer Anderson, Jeri Kunkle and Bob Waugh. A school board member is elected to a four-year term.

Kunkle and Waugh had each indicated they would not seek re-election.

Anderson is the only one to file candidate papers to be on the Sept. 10 ballot.

The other two vacancies can be filled by write-in candidates with the most votes in the election, or if there are no write-ins, the seats can be filled by appointment.

Guidelines about this scenario from the Iowa Association of School Boards are:

Write-in candidates are still a possibility. Space must be provided on election ballots for write-in candidates. The write-in candidate is not required to file a nomination petition. IASB recommends that write-in candidates conduct public and open campaigns to make their views and positions known throughout the community before the election.

If a write-in is elected, it must be determined whether the individual is willing and eligible to serve; they must be eligible to be registered to vote and live in the school district. If the individual meets the eligibility criteria and is willing to serve, then the individual is sworn in at the annual organizational board meeting.

If there is no write-in or an individual who is written in is not willing to serve, the board declares the position vacant at the organizational meeting. The board then has 30 days to appoint someone to fill the vacancy.

An individual appointed then serves until the next school election.

If no one is appointed within the 30 days, the board secretary declares a special election. The person elected at special election also serves the remainder of the term.