Deadline extended to Oct. 26 to apply for FUHSD open seat

Rick Monroe

Special to the Village News

The deadline has been extended for registered voters living in Area 2 to apply for an open position on the five-member governing board of the Fallbrook Union High School District. Area 2 covers the southern part of Camp Pendleton and there is a “failure to elect” in place since no one filed to run in the Nov. 8 election.

This is the first election cycle that Area 2 will represented by voters in that geographic area. The current school board has been charged by the Registrar of Voters to select someone prior to its December reorganization meeting.

The board opened a window of Sept. 29 to Oct. 10 for applicants, but with no one contacting the district office wanting the duty, Superintendent Ilsa Garza-Gonzalez notified the school board at its Oct. 10 meeting that the period has been extended to Oct. 26. That would allow the board to interview and select a replacement at a special meeting on Nov. 2.

The person selected could begin serving at the board’s organization meeting on Dec. 12 and serve until the November 2024 election.

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements specified in Education Code, which include being 18 years of age or older, a citizen of the state, a resident of Area 2, a registered voter, and not otherwise disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the state from holding a civil office.

Trustees Lita Tabish in Area 1, Elana Sterling in Area 2, and Diane Summers in Area 3 have chosen not to run for another term. Each was elected four years ago as at-large members, prior to the district establishing representatives by geographic area. None live in Area 2.

At the Sept. 26 board meeting, trustees appointed Eddie Jones, board president, and Oscar Caralampio, clerk, to a sub-committee to review applications for eligibility and announce the names of the eligible candidates. Confirming eligibility does not mean that the sub-committee will vet the qualifications of candidates. Reviewing qualifications will be reserved for the full board as part of its deliberations.

More information and the applications for the Area 2 position are available at https://www.fuhsd.net/district.