City Council Establishes Selection Process for School Board Vacancy
Published on May 23, 2019
Candidate applications accepted through June 7 for Board of Education District 5 position
The Huntsville City Council will be accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the Huntsville City School Board. The District 5 position will become vacant effective May 24 following Pam Hill’s resignation.
Under Alabama state law, the City Council has the responsibility to fill the vacancy. After consulting with the City Attorney’s office, Council President Devyn Keith presented a process for the selection procedure and candidate criteria to City Council at their May 23 meeting, which Council unanimously approved. The resolution established candidate criteria and a procedure whereby a replacement will be selected.
“This is an exceptionally important position for our City Schools, and we wanted to get it right,” said Council President Devyn Keith. “We have given this a great deal of thought, and I am pleased we have designed a path forward that is open, transparent, and allows us to consider the best possible individuals to represent School Board District 5.”
Applications for the School Board position will be accepted from Friday, May 24, through Friday, June 7.
Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter to the City Attorney’s office and meet the criteria outlined in the approved resolution.
Among the basic qualifications for applicants:
• Must be a qualified elector of the City of Huntsville
• Must have residency within the city limits of Huntsville and within the limits of the district for at least 90 days prior to election by the City Council
• Must have a high school diploma or its equivalent
READ: School Board Place 5 Selection Process and Timeline
Once applications are closed, an application review committee appointed by the Council President, consisting of two Council Members and two private citizens of the City, will have three days to assess the candidates. They will select five candidates to be interviewed by the Council during a public meeting in mid-June.
After the interview process is complete, the Council President will accept nominations from Council Members at the next regularly scheduled meeting on June 27. Council will vote on the nominees until one applicant receives a majority vote.
A complete timeline of the candidate election process is available here.
Prospective candidates with questions about the selection process should contact City Attorney Trey Riley at trey.riley@huntsvilleal.gov or call (256) 427-5026
