By Scott Elpers

 The Derby Public Schools Board of Education will begin accepting applications for the empty school board seat recently vacated by Don Parks.

Parks, who had been a member of the school board since 2009, resigned from his position on the board to pursue other interests outside of the state.

Applications can be found at www.derbyschools.com or at the district’s administrative center at 120 E. Washington. The deadline for completed applications is the end of the business day on Aug. 15. Applicants must live inside the Derby Public Schools boundaries and must be a registered voter.

All applications will be reviewed by the school board. Applicants will also be asked to attend a board meeting at the end of August or beginning of September where each will respond to the question: What would you like to see happen as a member of the Board of Education of Derby Public Schools over the next five years? 

Later in that meeting, the board could vote on filling the position, and the newly elected member could begin serving at the following meeting.

The school board looked into two options for filling the vacant seat at the school board meeting at Derby High School this past Monday.

The first option, which passed with a 6-0 vote from the school board, will fill the vacancy in September and run through the remainder of Parks’ two-year term, at the end of the school year in June 2013. The seat will remain on the April 2013 ballot for the following school year.

“They would serve an eight-to nine-month period guaranteed, but then June 30 would be the end of their term unless they ran in the April election and were successful at being elected to a two-year of four-year position,” said Craig Wilford, school district superintendent.

The board also looked at another option that would leave the position vacant for the remainder of Parks’ term and fill it next June after the April ballot.

The school district had used both methods for filling an empty school board seat in the past, but chose to fill it now rather than waiting until the term is up next year.

“It gives someone an opportunity to bring in a new perspective on different issues that we may have,” said school board member José Martinez. “It’s always nice to have more (board members) to debate on issues. I think bringing someone in rather than waiting is what we should do.”