Ben Allen resigned from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School Board of Education last month in order to join the State Senate and the district has begun the process of filling his vacant seat.
Two years remained on his term.
The application for the seat went online Tuesday.
Allen’s seat will be filled through a nomination process rather than a special election because the cost of the latter is estimated to be $1 million, Lyon told the board. Superintendent of Schools Sandra Lyon noted that the cost of a special election would have to be included on the petitions.
The board has 60 days from the date of Allen’s resignation, which was scheduled to take place on Nov. 24, to pick a successor.
Board Chair Maria Leon-Vazquez will assemble a sub-committee of no more than three board members to help guide the process. Applicants will have until Dec. 18 to apply, Lyon said.
At a public meeting, scheduled for Jan. 15, each applicant will be asked the same set of questions. If all goes smoothly, the six-member board could nominate a new member that night. If not, the district has built in some buffer time to hold a follow-up meeting.
There will be a 30-day window, from the date of the official nomination, for petitioners to challenge the process. If there is not a successful challenge, the board’s choice would be selected.
A version of this story originally appeared in the Santa Monica Daily Press.