Clock ticking to fill school board vacancy

The clock is ticking to replace a vacancy on the Maricopa Unified District Governing Board.

After board member Gary Miller resigned last month, the MUSD governing board has a vacancy which will be filled through the appointment of a candidate by Pinal County Superintendent of Schools Jill Broussard.

The successful candidate will be seated until Dec. 31, 2024.

Miller, a longtime school board member, was unanimously selected as vice president just this year. At a Sept. 13 meeting, he said new career responsibilities will hinder his ability to continue serving on the board.

“Serving on this board has offered priceless opportunities to connect with the community,” said Miller, whose term expires in December next year.

After a three-year stint on the board from 2015 to 2018, Broussard tapped Miller to fill a vacancy last year after member Jim Jordan passed away.

Now, the county superintendent is tasked with filling the vacancy once again.

Any eligible resident within the district who is interested in being appointed can apply online at Pinal County School Superintendent’s Office website by clicking the Pinal County School Governing Board Vacancy Notices in the Quicklinks.

The application can be found under the specific district’s vacancy notice posting on the website and it must be printed, signed, notarized and the original must be mailed or hand delivered to the county school office no later than 5 p.m. next Friday, Oct. 20.

A candidate can also pick up the application form at the Pinal County School’s Office in Florence or contact the superintendent’s assistant, Nicole O’Brien, to have an application form sent to them.

According to the Pinal County School Office, the MUSD governing board may submit up to three names to the county superintendent for consideration of an appointment to fill the vacancy. But the superintendent is not required to appoint a member from the list submitted by the governing board, per Arizona law.

Jessica Barr, an accountant at the Pinal County School Office, was not aware last week of any names submitted for consideration.

For questions or additional information, contact O’Brien at 520-866-6565 or by email at [email protected].