Seat open for Peninsula School District school board

The section of the school district that covers Fox Island, Artondale and Raft Island is in need of a representative.

The Peninsula School District Board of Directors is seeking qualified individuals from District 4 to fill in a representative vacancy between now and the general election.

Harlan Gallinger left the board after registering to vote in another county, and the board was notified of the move in early June. He had already announced that he would not seek re-election on May 8.

Gallinger is currently running for a school board position in in the Issaquah School District.

There have been two applicants for the open position so far, said Marilyn Wilson, assistant to the superintendent. One applicant is also a candidate in the November election, but Wilson did not disclose who.

The district hopes to see more applicants by the deadline, she said.

The deadline is approaching. Applications must be in by 4 p.m. July 20, and interviews of qualified applicants will be held by the board the following week. The final selection and interviews will all be held in a public session.

The vacant seat won’t be filled for very long. The District 4 seat will be on the ballot in November. There are currently three candidates: Zachary Smith, Garth Jackson and Leslie Harbaugh.

Any interim applicant must be a resident in District 4.

Gallinger spoke at a recent board meeting during the public comments section because he was speaking as a member of the public and no longer a board member.

Gallinger said he found out about his vacancy on the board from the district’s press release and not from direct communication.

“I have not had any intention of taking any action that was against local or state policy. When I decided to move, I reviewed our Board policies,” Gallinger said.

He asked that due to a “gray area” between the board policy and state law that the district call on the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney for an informal opinion.

“In the meantime, I believe that I should retain my seat, pending this decision,” he said. “It is not that I desired to commute to Board meetings, but I wanted to provide continuity for these few short months before the November election.”

To apply for the open seat, send a letter of intent to the school district office, 14015 62nd Ave. NW, Gig Harbor. A detailed map of the district boundaries is available online at http://www.psd401.net and also at the district office.

This story was originally published July 15, 2015 at 9:40 AM with the headline "Seat open for Peninsula School District school board."