The San Diego Community College District Monday put out a call for applicants interested in filling a Board of Trustees seat recently vacated by Sean Elo-Rivera, who was sworn in as a member of the San Diego City Council on Thursday.
Elo-Rivera represented SDCCD’s District E, which stretches from Barrio Logan to City Heights and includes Downtown, North Park, South Park, Golden Hill, Mountain View, Logan Heights and Normal Heights.
The board met Nov. 12 and decided it would appoint a replacement to fill the final two years of Elo-Rivera’s term. While trustees had the option of calling a special election, they deemed the cost — estimated at up to $650,000 — prohibitive, especially at a time when education funding is being constrained due to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The next scheduled election in District E is in 2022.
The board has 60 days from Elo-Rivera’s swearing-in date as a councilman to make a provisional appointment. A board subcommittee will coordinate the process with the assistance of Chancellor Constance Carroll.
An eligible applicant must be a resident of District E, a registered voter and at least 21 years old, and cannot be an SDCCD employee. The board will select the appointee by majority vote at an upcoming meeting.
“This is an important decision since the governing board’s actions affect over 100,000 students and the entire region,” said Maria Nieto Senour president of the board of trustees. “To ensure transparency and full compliance with legal requirements, the entire process will be conducted at public sessions of the board.”
Applications from interested candidates are due Jan.15.
More information on the application process for those interested in representing District E will be available Friday at sdccd.edu/board-vacancy.
— City News Service
