Twin Rivers Unified Seeks Applicants to Fill School Board Seat

Trustee area 5 of the Twin Rivers Unified School District. / Source: TRUSD

THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

The Twin Rivers Unified School District is now accepting applications to fill the school board seat vacated by former trustee Cortez Quinn.

Quinn, 47, resigned from his post last month after he plead no contest to felony conspiracy to obstruct justice, and misdemeanor illegal acceptance of personal loans and gifts from an employee by an elected official. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1.

Earlier this month, the Twin Rivers Unified school board voted to appoint someone to fill Quinn’s vacant seat through his elected term, ending June 2016, instead of holding a costly special election.

Last night, board members approved the process and timeline to appoint Quinn’s replacement. A board ad hoc committee was also created to ensure applicants qualify and to announce the names of the eligible applicants.

To be eligible to be a school board member, applicants must be at least 18 years old, a citizen of California, a resident of the school district, a registered voter, and not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the state from holding a civil office. Applicants must also live in Trustee Area 5 which includes North Natomas and Robla (see map). Applications will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Dec. 2.

Those persons interested and willing to serve on the Twin Rivers Unified school board are asked to complete an applicant information sheet available here

Regular meetings of the Twin Rivers Unified school board are held bi-monthly on Tuesdays, with special meetings called as necessary. Some personal time is required individually to attend district, state, and/or national meetings.

The district will hold a community forum at 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at Regency Park Elementary School, located at 5901 Bridgecross Drive in Natomas, to get input about the kind of leadership qualities the community would like to see in a school board member. The Board will make an appointment by Dec. 11.

For more information about the application process, contact Sharon Hally, Executive Assistant to the Board of Trustees, at (916) 566-1600, ext. 50902.

Timeline For Provisional Appointment

• Oct. 16 – Trustee Cortez Quinn submits written letter of resignation to County Superintendent Dave Gordon, effective October 16, 2014.
• Oct. 21 – Dr. Steven Martinez, Superintendent, presents available options to the Board of Trustees to fill the vacancy in Trustee Area 5.
• Nov. 5 – Board of Trustees selects and approves the process to fill the Board vacancy by provisional appointment within 60 days.
• Nov. 18 – By Resolution No. 480, the Board of Trustees adopts the process and timeline for the provisional appointment; a Board ad hoc committee is determined to ensure applicants qualify and to announce the names of the eligible applicants; and Discussion is held to determine the logistics of the application.
• Nov. 19 to Dec. 1 – The Board advertises through the local media and on the District’s website, inviting qualified applicants to submit applications for appointment to represent Trustee Area 5.
• Dec. 1 – The Board holds public forum at Regency Park Elementary School.
• Dec. 2 – Applications due by 4 p.m. in the Board of Trustees’ Office, located at 5115 Dudley Boulevard, McClellan, California 95652.
• Dec. 3 – The Board ad hoc committee meets to screen out applicants who do not comply with the minimum requirements as specified in Ed. Code 35107(a) and who are not residents of Trustee Area 5.
• Dec. 4 – A special Board meeting is held to review applications. The Board ad hoc committee will report to the Board on every applicant’s name and whether the applicant meets the minimum eligibility requirements; the Board reviews all qualified applications in open session; and Applications will be available to the public.
• Dec. 11- A special Board meeting is held to continue the selection process, if needed; Board action is taken to approve the successful applicant by provisional appointment.
• Dec. 16- The new Board member is sworn in and seated with the Board of Trustees at the December 16, 2014, regular board meeting.
• Dec. 12 to 21 – Within 10 days after the appointment is made, the Board shall post notice of the actual vacancy and the provisional appointment. The notice shall be published in the local newspaper pursuant to Government Code 6061 and posted in at least three public places within the district (Education Code 5092). The notice shall contain: 1) the effective date of the resignation, resulting in the vacancy; 2) the full name of the appointee; 3) the date of the appointment; 4) a statement notifying the voters that unless a petition calling a special election pursuant to Education Code 5091 is filed in the office of the County Superintendent of Schools within 30 days of the provisional appointment, it shall become an effective appointment.
• Jan. 11, 2015 – Provisional appointment becomes effective. The person appointed shall hold office until the next regularly scheduled election for district Board members and shall be afforded all the powers and duties of a Board member.