The Douglas County School Board voted to accept the resignation of member on Thursday, putting into motion a nearly six-week process to appoint his successor.
The vote at a special meeting came less than 48 hours after the board deadlocked 3-3 on accepting the resignation, with several members saying at that meeting that they had not been properly notified of his plans.
from the board on Aug. 17 in an opinion piece . But board member Anne-Marie LeMieux said only the board’s president was notified in writing about the resignation.
“The state statutes say the full board receives the resignation,” she said in an interview before Thursday’s meeting.
The resolution passed Thursday not only finalizes Benevento’s resignation but lays out a schedule for selecting his successor. Anyone registered to vote for at least a year and living in District E can submit a nomination form by midnight Sept. 21 at the .
Two of the board members will each choose three candidates from the applications submitted, plus any both agree on, to present to the full board on Oct. 4. Interviews will be conducted on that date.
On Oct. 18, the board will meet to vote on a candidate to fill the vacant seat. If there is no consensus on a successor, President Meghann Silverthorn will make the appointment. The successor would have to run for election in November 2017, which is when Benevento’s second term would have ended.
Benevento, first elected in 2009, was part of reform-minded majority on the board that pushed for a voucher program, a pay-for-performance salary system and a weakened teachers union. The policies they espoused were controversial within the district.
In August, Benevento said he saw no need to continue in his post because his priorities as a board member had been largely reached.
“For several months, it felt like it was time for me to leave and for someone else to step forward and carry on our vision of improving education by empowering parents and students,” he said.
