Field set for Medina school board candidates

Eleven people have applied for two open seats on the Medina Board of Education. Board member Susan Vlcek announced last year she would resign her post at the start of this year, and board President Karla Robinson, who initially said she would resign in June, announced in December she also would leave Jan 1.

Both Robinson and Vlcek announced in September they would not serve out their full terms in response to the public furor over the new contract approved in January for Superintendent Randy Stepp.

Public outcry against a contract for Stepp led to the board rescinding the contract in the spring and requesting a special state audit of Stepps spending, which reported that Stepp illegally spent at least $4,121.

The board placed Stepp on unpaid leave and voted to start the process to fire him in October when the audit was released.

Stepp has gone to court to challenge the firing and the audit results. The board also has sued Stepp.

Robinson initially planned to serve on the board until the spring for continuity, but her announcement that she would resign means the board can appoint both positions from the pool of applicants they received. The application deadline was Friday.

That fact that Karla did what she did with the timing allows us to appoint the two people right now, said board member Tom Cahalan, who was appointed to the board last spring and won re-election in November.

State law requires the board to appoint the two replacements before Jan. 30 but after Jan. 10. Cahalan said they hope to appoint the new members at the boards Jan. 27 regular meeting.

The appointed members will serve out the remainder of Vlcek and Robinsons terms, which end in 2015.

School officials released information about the 11 applicants:

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Field set for Medina school board candidates