A vacant school board seat in Penns Valley has raised questions. How can it be filled?

After the sudden resignation of a Penns Valley Area school board member last month, community members have raised questions about how vacant seats on the board are filled.

Lisa Bierlein, who was elected to the board in 2021, resigned at a Jan. 4 meeting, citing her dissatisfaction with the board. She suggested that Molly Miller, who ran for a school board seat in November as part of The Valleys’ Voice group and lost by only seven votes, take her place. Bierlein also published an open letter about her resignation in a community newsletter, explaining her concerns about the Pennsylvania School Board Association’s influence on policy and transparency within the district and administration, among other concerns.

Community members in a local Facebook group have posted support for Miller to take the position and have urged the board to choose Miller. But during the Jan. 24 meeting, the board and administration said it would be following the policy set by the board and Pennsylvania School Code.

The board will fill the vacant seat during a special meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at Penns Valley Intermediate/Elementary School. Three candidates applied for the board seat, Superintendent Brian Griffith said during the board’s Wednesday night meeting.

Board members serve four-year terms and are elected in November, but when boards fill a vacancy outside of an election cycle, it’s done by appointment. Unlike board seats in elections, which are chosen democratically, the vacant board seat is decided by the already appointed school directors.

Under section 315 of the PA School Code, once a director leaves the board, whether due to death, resignation, or moving out of the district, the remaining board members have 30 days to fill the seat. Only districts with populations over 1 million are exempt from this process, having their vacancies filled by the Court of Common Pleas of the county.

The following is information about filling vacancies, based on information from the school district and the the Pennsylvania School Board Association.

Who can fill a vacant seat?

Any interested appointees must be 18 years old, reside within the district for at least one year before appointment and must not hold any other incompatible public office positions.

How do boards choose a new member?

Boards do not have to follow a standardized guideline or process to choose a new member, but all interviews, deliberation and voting must be public, according to section 315.

Penns Valley’s board policy allows for two minutes of opening statement per candidate, followed by questions from board members. Board members will ask candidates the same questions and can choose from the following list:

• Why are you interested in serving on the school board?
• What do you perceive to be the responsibilities of the school board?
• How do you think the school district can improve students’ academic achievement and the staff’s professional development?
• What are the strengths of our school district?
• What are the challenges facing our school district?
• What qualities, skills and experience would you bring to the board?
• If you were faced with a tough issue as a board member, such as raising taxes or cutting programs, what kind of data would you need to help you make your decision?
• What do you believe would be your biggest challenges as a board member?
• What are the biggest challenges facing public education today?

In previous years, both Bellefonte and State College area school districts have used similar methods of interviewing candidates about prior experience, interest in the position and knowledge of the district.

Board members then publicly deliberate before nominating and voting for candidates until a majority vote or consensus is reached.

How often does this happen?

It’s a fairly uncommon practice in Centre County, with only three board members appointed this way since 2022.

• Jan. 11, 2022: Nate Campbell was appointed to fill Mark Badger’s seat.
• Feb. 6, 2023: Jim Leous was appointed to fill Amber Concepcion’s seat.
• Dec. 14, 2023: Nate Campbell was appointed to fill Jeff Steiner’s seat.

How long will the board member serve?

It depends on when the elected board member resigns or leaves the board. If it’s within the last two years of the term, the appointee will serve the remainder of the term. If it’s within the first two years, the appointee will serve until the next municipal election held 60 days after the vacancy occurred. In the case of the Penns Valley board vacancy, the appointee will serve until the next board election in 2025, according to the Pennsylvania School Board Association.

This story was originally published February 7, 2024 at 5:40 AM.