St. Paul voters will decide on Nov. 8 who will fill the final 13 months or so of former school board member Jean O'Connell's final term in office.
It's possible it could be someone who also will have occupied the seat on an interim basis.
That's because O'Connell's former school board colleagues voted on Tuesday to not only set the November special election, but to also begin accepting applications to appoint someone to serve in O'Connell's place on a temporary basis until the election results are certified.
While some government bodies ask that candidates who seek a temporary appointment pledge not to run in the ensuing election -- a move that they contend preserves an open, competitive process -- the St. Paul school board did not issue such a requirement on Tuesday.
Board Member Steve Marchese, however, did say that he, for one, would be concerned about appointing someone who also chooses to run in the November election.
The board was forced to decide how to fill the vacancy after O'Connell announced last month that she was resigning due to the "disrespectful, destructive and cynical" nature of the current board. The move came during the same meeting during which the board voted, 5-to-2, to oust Superintendent Valeria Silva.
Applications for the interim appointment are being accepted until 5 p.m. July 22. The board plans to interview candidates on Aug. 2, and decide then who will serve on a temporary basis beginning in early September. How many people are interviewed depends on how many apply. If six or fewer people seek the appointment, all will be interviewed. If more, each board member will select two candidates for interviews.
People who wish to apply are asked to e-mail or send a "letter of interest" and resume, including day and evening phone numbers, and an e-mail address or fax number to: Marilyn Polsfuss, Assistant Board Clerk, St. Paul Public Schools, 360 Colborne St., St. Paul, Minn., 55102 or marilyn.polsfuss@spps.org.
Candidates seeking to run in the November election must file affidavits of candidacy with the Ramsey County Elections Office during a period beginning Aug. 2 and ending Aug. 16.
St. Paul DFLers have scheduled an endorsing convention for Aug. 13 at Hazel Park Preparatory Academy on the city's East Side. The delegate pool will be the same as in April 2015 when four political newcomers secured the party's endorsement.
