ASHLAND — The deadline to turn in letters of interest for a vacant seat on the Ashland City Schools Board of Education has been extended, following discovery of a mistake regarding the length of the term to be filled.
Rob Wash, a current member of the board, won election in November, but Supt. Steve Paramore announced in March that Wash would be stepping down.
Paramore cited a conflict of interest with Wash’s work at Spreng-Smith Insurance Agency as the reason for Wash stepping away. Wash leaves the board June 1.
Those interested in filling his seat were to submit letters of interest between March 25 to April 19. John Teevan, the board president, had stated at a previous board meeting that the appointee to Wash’s seat would serve through the duration of his term. The term Wash was elected to extended to Dec. 31, 2027.
But at a board work session on Monday, Teevan announced that statement was made in error.
“After further research and inquiry, I’ve learned from administrators at both the Ohio School Board Association and Board of Elections office here in Ashland that the appointed term is actually shorter, ending on Dec. 31, 2025,” Teevan’s statement said.
“In other words, the appointed seat is available from June 2024 to Dec. 31, 2025.”
With the error, the Ashland City Schools board has opened up more time to submit letters of interest for Wash’s seat. Letters will be accepted through May 24 at 4 p.m., according to Teevan. Teevan stated those who’ve already turned in letters will be rolled over for consideration.
Letters can be submitted to the Office of the Superintendent, attention Ms. Raelee Crunkilton. She can be reached at rabennet@goarrows.org.
Rules for replacements
Amanda Jones, the chair of the Ashland County Board of Elections, said the appointee would serve until Jan. 1, 2026, in a call with Ashland Source Wednesday. She said the appointee would have to run for re-election in November 2025.
Jones said those rules are outlined in candidate requirement guides on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.
The guide states that a person selected to fill a vacancy on a board of education will hold office for the shorter of two periods:
- Until completion of the unexpired term
- Until the first day of January following the next regular board of education election taking place more than 90 days after a person is selected to fill the vacancy
Since the next regular board election takes place in 2025, that’s the shorter time period.
The same rule applies to the vacancy that Hillsdale had to fill with the departure of board vice president Nicholas Atterholt, Jones said. Atterholt’s unexpired term concludes on Dec. 31, 2025. So, in that instance, Atterholt’s replacement would serve out the rest of his term.
Atterholt sat in on his last meeting in April. The district’s website no longer lists Atterholt as a member of the board. Instead, it lists Mr. Keith Yeater as a board member. Yeater’s term expires Dec. 31, 2025, according to the district site.
Wash will sit in on his last regular board meeting with Ashland City Schools on Tuesday, May 28, at 5:30 p.m. The board was supposed to meet Monday, May 20, but that meeting was canceled and moved to May 28.