Maplewood Schools Announce Search For New Board Member

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Now that South Orange-Maplewood school board member Kamal Zubieta has resigned, the district has advertised that it's looking for candidates to fill the spot, who must apply by July 7. READ MORE: Criticizing 'Inner Circle,' Maplewood School Board Member Resigns

Zubieta submitted a letter of resignation over Memorial Day weekend saying, "The board majority is moving in a direction away from my focus and my conscience. Now more than ever, during a time of international crisis, our children need an inclusive Board to be their advocates. However, with an exclusive inner circle and a marginalized minority of independents, the Board fails our most precious treasure — the children of our district."

The board website explains, "The process for filling a vacancy differs from a typical school board election. The person appointed by the board will become a full member of the board and serve in that position until the next reorganization meeting in January 2022."

See more details below.

<blockquote><p>

Notice of Board Vacancy

Due to the resignation of a board member, the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education
has a vacancy. The vacancy will be filled by an appointment made by the remaining members of
the Board at a public meeting on July 12th, 2021 beginning at 7 p.m.
The process for filling a vacancy differs from a typical school board election. The person
appointed by the Board will become a full member of the Board and serve in that position until
the next reorganization meeting in January 2022.
In order to be considered for this appointment, any interested party must submit a letter of
interest, resume and any other available information indicating their qualifications. This
information should be presented in a form that will assist the Board of Education in making an
appointment. Please include reasons your selection to the school board would be of value to the
district and the students.
These materials can be mailed to the attention of Andrea Del Guercio, Acting School Business
Administrator / Board Secretary, c/o South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education, 525
Academy Street, Maplewood, New Jersey 07040, or emailed to
boardvacancy@somsd.k12.nj.us with “Board Vacancy Application” in the subject line.
The deadline for receiving materials is 5:00 p.m. July 7, 2021.
Interviews with candidates for the board vacancy will be conducted in public on Monday, July
12th, 2021 beginning at 7:00 p.m. All applicants will be provided the opportunity to make a fiveminute statement that elaborates on the letter and resume; reasons for wanting to serve,
qualifications, and areas of priority. The board will follow-up with any questions. After all
statements and questions are concluded, the board will adjourn to executive session to
deliberate. After returning from executive session, the board will make nominations to fill the
position and then vote to appoint one of the candidates. The candidate with a majority vote of
the remaining members of the Board will immediately take the oath of office and be seated.
The person selected to fill the vacancy will have to undergo a full criminal background check
within 30 days of appointment.
Qualifications:
Each member of any board of education shall, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:12-1:
● Be a United States citizen;
● Be a resident of the district for at least one year at the time of election or appointment;
● Be able to read and write;
● Be a registered voter in the district where the person is submitting the nomination petition (or
being appointed);
● Not be disqualified as a voter pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:4-1;
● Not have been convicted of any of the crimes or offenses enumerated in N.J.S.A. 18A;12-1
or conspiracy to commit or attempt to commit any of said crimes;
● Not be the mayor or a member of the governing body of the municipality;
● Not have a direct or indirect contract with or claim against the board.
Additional information can be obtained from the New Jersey School Boards Association at
https://www.njsba.org/about/me... or by contacting Board
Secretary Andrea Del Guercio.

</blockquote>

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