Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Group Hints at Possible Drama Over Fresno School Board Vacancy
gvw_david_taub
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 3 years ago on
July 23, 2021

Share

The untimely passing of Trustee Carol Mills has left a vacancy on the Fresno Unified School Board that could result in a struggle over filling the seat.

Mills won her fifth term representing the Fresno High area in November 2020. She died Wednesday after a battle with ALS — amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — a progressive neurodegenerative disease.

60 Day Timeline to Decide

The School Board now has 60 days to choose between two options to fill the vacant trustee seat: make a provisional appointment or call for an election. That decision must come by Sept. 19.

If the board chooses an election, it would occur in early 2022. The next regular election for the seat will not come around again until November 2024.

“My preference is what we can do legally and expediently,” Fresno Unified Board President Valerie Davis said.

The next scheduled school board meeting is August 11, but a special meeting to discuss the matter could be called before then.

Provisional Appointment Option

If the board decides to appoint a replacement, eligible candidates can apply or be nominated. Eligibility includes being a registered voter (thus a U.S. citizen) and living within the FUSD Area 5 boundaries.

A subcommittee of up to three trustees would vet potential nominees to make sure they are eligible. Interviews with the candidates would take place at a public meeting, with the nominee being selected by majority vote of the full board.

A similar process was followed by the Clovis Unified School District in 2019 when the board selected Hugh Awtrey to replace retiring trustee Brian Heryford. Awtrey was elected by the public a year later.

If a provisional appointment is made, the new trustee would have full rights and privileges. The appointee would face election in November 2022 to fulfil the remainder of the term and could then run for a full term in November 2024.

Appointee Could Be Challenged with Petition

If an appointment is made, residents can challenge the decision with a petition calling for a special election.

Jim Tuck, president of a grassroots group called Save Our Fresno Schools, expects the board to make an appointment. And he expects the board’s choice will not be to his group’s liking. If so, they plan to initiate a petition.

The group formed in response to a decision by the School Board to replace Fresno High School’s Warrior mascot, which depicted a Native American man wearing face paint and feathers.

California Education Code calls for 1.5% of registered voters (based on the November 2020 election date) of the district to sign a petition to submit to the county superintendent of schools.

The total number of signatures needed to force an election is a point of contention. Discussions by GV Wire with multiple education and election law experts did not produce a consensus interpretation of the Education Code’s provisions.

If signatures are required to be collected district-wide, 2,761 are needed (based on 184,043 registered voters in Fresno Unified at the time of last November’s election). If signatures from the trustee area alone are sufficient, just 402 will need to be submitted (based on 26,791 registered Trustee Area 5 voters).

Either way, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Jim Yovino would have 30 days to certify signatures.

If successful, the provisional appointment would be nullified. A special election would take place no later than 130 days.

If every step of the process goes to the maximum deadline, a special election could take place between March 22 and April 12, 2022.

DON'T MISS

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

DON'T MISS

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

DON'T MISS

Canadian School Boards Sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta for Disrupting Students’ Education

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Tackles Animal Overpopulation with New Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Program

DON'T MISS

Biden Administration to Lend $1.5B to Restart Michigan Nuclear Power Plant, a First in the US

DON'T MISS

Tonight’s Biden Fundraiser With Obama and Clinton Already Nets a Record $25 Million

DON'T MISS

Supermom Carmi Is Ready to Be Embraced by Her Forever Family

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: How Going to Work for Trump Turned Devin Nunes Into a Millionaire

DON'T MISS

Trump Criticizes Judge and His Daughter After Gag Order in Hush-Money Case

No data was found
David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

6 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

7 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

7 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

7 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

7 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

8 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

8 hours ago

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

9 hours ago

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

11 hours ago

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

11 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

PGA HOPE, now underway at Fresno’s Riverside Golf Course, is designed to introduce golf to veterans and active duty military members t...

5 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Fresno's Riverside Golf Course
5 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

6 hours ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

6 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

6 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

7 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

7 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

7 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

7 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend