Vacated school board seat up for grabs

HEMET

Vacated school board seat up for grabs

Trustees will appoint someone to finish the term of Joe Wojcik, who resigned when he moved

By Craig Shultz

[email protected]@PE_CraigShultz on Twitter

The Hemet school board will appoint someone to fill an open seat created by the resignation of Joe Wojcik.

The six remaining trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint someone to fill the vacancy created when Wojcik moved out of the district.

“An election is very expensive,” Board President Vic Scavarda said. “It’s a better use of taxpayer money to go ahead with a provisional appointment.”

The deadline to apply is Sept. 1 with the appointment expected to be made Sept. 19. Whoever is selected will be immediately sworn in and serve until November 2018.

A board committee of Scavarda, Megan Haley and Stacey Bailey will screen the applications for eligibility and determine interview questions to be asked of the hopefuls.

Wojcik’s seat was one of five on the board that represents Hemet properin the sprawling district. There also are separate seats for the Idyllwildand Anza/Aguanga areas. Trustees are paid $400 per month and are eligible for district-paid health and other benefits. After Lisa DeForest resigned from the board in February 2015, nine candidates applied for the opening and Patrick Searl was selected.

One opening created by Wojcik’s departure was filled as Ross Valenzuela was selected to replace him as board vice president for the rest of the year.

“Your dedication and support of what we do in Hemet Unified is very valued,” Haley said in nominating Valenzuela, who is in his second term as a trustee and was vice president in 2014 and president in 2015.

With Wojcik’s departure, Valenzuela is the longest tenured board member.

Wojcik is the third Hemet trustee to leave in the last four years because of a move, following Bill Sanborn in 2013 and DeForest.