Applicants sought for open school board seat

The deadline to apply for the school board seat left vacant by Barbara Howe is

5 p.m. Tuesday. So far, there is only one applicant.

Trustee Stacie Wilke, who was appointed to the board in September as the only applicant, said she is disappointed in the lack of interest.

"Now is a great time to get involved," she said. "And it's easier with seven people deciding your fate instead of 14,000. It's a lot less expensive when you don't have to run a campaign."

Wilke took over Joe Enge's seat on the board after he resigned Aug. 6 following his second alcohol-related arrest in a year.

After his first arrest, there was a public outcry calling on him to step down. His fellow board members cast a vote, officially urging him to resign, but he refused.

Wilke said she believed the controversy would have spurred people's interest in serving that district.

"There were so many people who turned out because of the disruption in that seat," she said. "I thought a lot more people would get involved instead of sitting on the sidelines."

The District 6 seat was vacated when former president Barbara Howe left to take a job in California. Her last meeting was Oct. 27.

Wilke, a mother of two who previously served on the board from 1998-2002, said people should not be intimidated by the time commitment.

"It's as much time as you want to put into it," she said. "The main requirement is you have to care about the school district. You have to get involved. It would be a great experience for that person already working on the PTA or involved with a school."

Applicants for the seat, which encompasses the southwest area of Carson City, should submit a letter of interest to the school district office at 1402 W. King St. by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

This will be the third member appointed to the board this year. Lynnette Conrad was appointed in January after Bob Crowell resigned when he was elected mayor.

For weeks, only one candidate had applied for that seat as well. However, a public call from former board member John McKenna resulted in nearly a dozen applicants.

Candidates will be interviewed at the Dec. 8 board meeting and a new trustee will be chosen then.

To verify boundaries, stop by the district office to take a look at the map. For more information, call 283-2100.