West Ada trustees looking for two new board members

West Ada School District is looking for applicants for two trustee positions left vacant following the recall of trustees Tina Dean and Carol Sayles .

Applicants have until 5 p.m. Friday to submit their applications, which are available at the West Ada School District web site.

Applicants must be from Zone1 in the western part of the district and Zone 3, from the eastern portion of the district. A zone map is available on the district’s web site. Dean was from Zone 1 and Sayles from Zone 3.

West Ada trustees will interview Zone 1 candidates in a public meeting June 7 and Zone 3 on May 9. The remaining three trustees could select the next two trustees at the end of each of those meetings or set a specials meeting to make a selection.

Trustees are authorized by Idaho law to fill vacancies on the school board. The trustees selected will complete the unexpired terms of Dean and Sayles, which end July 1, 2017.

Since February four of the five West Ada trustees in place in July 2015 have left the board. All four were under the threat of recall after opponents complained about their treatment of then-superintendent Linda Clark who resigned from the board in October 2015 and whose contract was terminated by the board in November after they rejected her resignation. Clark later settled with the board for $160,000.

Former trustee Julie Madsen resigned from the board in February saying the recall would be a distraction to the district. She was replaced by Philip Neuhoff, a recall opponent. Russell Joki resigned in April citing personal reasons. He was replaced by Rene Ozuna, a parent who also opposed the recall. Dean and Sayles were recalled.

This story was originally published May 31, 2016 at 11:43 AM with the headline "West Ada trustees looking for two new board members."