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LAUREL — The Laurel-Concord- Coleridge Board of Education accepted the resignation Monday of Board member Scott Taylor.
Taylor has served on the board for seven years. His term was set to expire in December, 2026.
His resignation triggers a state-mandated process for accepting the resignation and appointing a replacement.
The law requires the board to fill the open seat within 45 days after the vacancy occurs, unless “good cause is shown that the requirement imposes an undue burden.”
The 45-day timeline begins when the school board accepts the resignation, not when the letter is submitted.
The district is also required to provide notice of the vacancy. According to the state guidelines, the school board must give notice of the date the vacancy occurred, the office vacated and the length of the unexpired term in writing to the election commissioner or county clerk and also through a notice published in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district.
The vacancy is filled through an appointment by the remaining board members. The board is required to temporarily fill the seat by appointing a qualified registered voter of the district.
The appointee must meet the same requirements as the departing board member. To be eligible, the person must be a registered voter in the school district and cannot be employed as a teacher by the school district.
The appointed member would serve out the remainder of the unexpired term, which in this case runs until the start of the next term of office in early January 2027. The guidelines specify the appointee would serve until Thursday, Jan. 7, 2027, which is the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January.
State statutes do not require the board to use a specific method for choosing a successor, leaving the selection process up to the board.
Board members decided Monday they would move forward with an informal recruitment process by contacting formerly elected school board members as well as current leaders within school organizations to assess their interest and willingness to serve for the remainder of the term.
Once the board selects a candidate, the appointment must be approved through official action, typically by motion. The new member must then take the oath of office before voting on any board matters.
