FORT WORTH -- School board members set a date Tuesday night for a public forum in the south side's District 8 to discuss how to appoint a new trustee to represent that area.
The forum was set for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at a location to be determined. Officials hope to swear in a new trustee by April or May.The nine-member Fort Worth school board has a vacancy because of last month's resignation of board President Ray Dickerson.A complication is that the president's seat is disappearing because of a switch to nine single-member districts, with the president chosen by the board, not the voters.The board voted to appoint a trustee to the District 8 seat, a term that will expire in 2013, rather than hold an election, citing the expense.Trustees discussed when and how to take public input and what qualifications they will look for.They discussed having a public forum after taking applications."I thought it would be good for the community to meet them," Trustee Norm Robbins said, adding that the applicants could explain to the public why they want to be on the board.Others balked at that idea.Trustee Ann Sutherland said such a forum would make it easy for certain individuals to "jam up" the process."It's going to be huge and ugly if we do," Sutherland said. At one point, she indicated that she wanted the applicants' names kept private, but the school district's attorney said that would be illegal.Trustees indicated they would listen to public comment before accepting applications.The application process will likely include some form of a questionnaire, officials indicated, which would gauge the applicant's intentions and ties to the district.When discussing whether to weight answers to rank candidates, trustees again seemed hesitant."This sounds like a teenager deciding who [she wants] to marry and putting points by that," Sutherland said.While trustees must meet basic requirements -- such as being at least 18 and living in the district they represent -- the board can consider qualifications "above and beyond" that, said Ed Spears, the district's business services support manager.The district's attorney, Bertha Whatley, said any paperwork ranking applicants would be subject to public-records laws. But, she said, trustees can interview applicants and deliberate on their choice in closed session.Eva-Marie Ayala,817-390-7700Twitter: @fwstayalaHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
