Gilbert Sets Deadline for Governing Board Applications

Gilbert, AZ – Gilbert residents interested in applying for the vacant Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board position must apply by October 23.

Van Dunham, who served on the board for seven years, announced his resignation last week. According to previous reports, Dunham will be moving out of the Gilbert district and closer to family. His resignation will take effect on November 11.

“We’re going to miss Van and the contributions he made to the board,” Governing Board President, Thad Stump, said.

Although Dunham will be missed, efforts are being made to seat a new board member as quickly as possible, since Dunham’s resignation is in mid-term.

A candidate will be selected based on a new nomination process that was set in January. According to this new rule, the County Superintendant of Schools will no longer be the exclusive decision maker in the appointment process. Instead, more power will be delegated to local boards.

“The county has now pushed to put more responsibility on the district, since that is where this individual is going to serve,” Stump said.

A panel including the Governing Board President, Thad Stump, the School District Superintendant, David Allison, and Gilbert Education Association President, Jo Bell, will review each candidates’ documentation.

“It certainly makes more sense from a local control point of view that we have a pretty active role in selecting that person, whereas before it was up to the whim of the County Superintendant, who really doesn’t know the school district, the people, or the politics, whereas we do,” Allison said.

Final candidates will be interviewed between Oct. 26 and Nov. 5, and three nominees will be notified of their selection by Nov. 6. Nominees are required to attend a seminar on Saturday, Nov. 14, and the Maricopa County School Superintendant, Donald Covey, will finalize the appointment by Nov. 20.

“I think [the new nomination process] will give the district more of an opportunity to give their inputs on the candidates, whereas in the past they didn’t get to talk to any of the candidates or provide any input on what their choices were for the position,” Governing Board Clerk, Lily Tram, said.

Tram, who was appointed to the board in April 2008 to fill a vacancy and later won re-election that November, is one of the board’s newest members.

Despite varying opinions and judgments, the board is still able to work well together, Tram said, but they’ve dealt with issues in the past year that required a tiebreaking vote.

“It’s kind of scary at first to think about how this new person is going to fit in,” Tram said. “We’ll just have to be open about their opinions and their judgments, and then we’ll just work together as a group.”

Allison, who will serve on the panel that selects the nominees, said one of the main items he will consider when reviewing a candidate is whether they would join the board with an agenda. Someone “who comes with no agendas, except to improve education,” would be the best choice, Allison said.

Among motives, Allison said a candidate’s previous involvement with school districts and committees, the amount of time they’ve lived within the district, and their philosophies about education will all be aspects to consider.

Candidates must be registered voters in the state of Arizona, reside within Gilbert Unified School District boundaries and have been a resident for one year prior to the election or appointment.

Interested candidates must submit a written statement of interest including personal data, such as name, address and contact information, career and education information, any community and school service involvement, home and family information, and any hobbies or recreational activities to the Governing Board Office by 4:00 p.m. on October 23.

Applicants must also submit two brief narratives, describing their experiences that qualify them for the position, and what they hope to see accomplished in the district during their service.

Proof of Arizona voter registration and a signed, notarized affidavit of qualification of nomination are also required.

As of Wednesday, five individuals contacted Stump about the vacancy, however, as of Thursday, no materials had been submitted.

Guest article contributed by Heather Fulton, Student
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications

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