Keizerites who want a say in the running of Oregon’s second largest school district can now apply for a vacant seat on the Salem-Keizer School Board.
The school district opened applications Friday for the seat representing zone 6, which covers the city of Keizer. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31.
The seat is open following the surprise resignation of Danielle Bethell last week. Bethell, who is also a Marion County Commissioner, was elected to the board in 2019 and resigned in an email to board leadership on Oct. 10.
She did not give a reason for her resignation in the email and has since made no public statements explaining her decision. She has not responded to requests for an interview from Salem Reporter.
To fill the seat, applicants must currently live within the boundaries of zone 6, have lived in the zone for at least a year, and be registered to vote in the district. They cannot be employees of the Salem-Keizer School District.
The school board will interview qualified candidates at its Nov. 8 meeting and will post application materials for candidates in the board agenda packet prior to the meeting. A special meeting may be held Nov. 15 to decide on an applicant if more time is needed.
The selected candidate would serve the remainder of Bethell’s term, until June 30, 2023. The seat will be up for election in May 2023.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
