On September 28, 2022, Flint Community Schools Superintendent Kevelin Jones and Board of Education President Carol McIntosh requested that the GISD Board of Education appoint a qualified and registered elector residing within the boundaries of Flint Community Schools to fill the vacancy resulting from the resignation of Dr. Danielle Green on August 25, 2022. Flint Community Schools determined that 30 days passed since the vacancy first existed, and therefore, the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) Board of Education is responsible for filling the vacancy pursuant to Michigan Election Law (MCL 168.311(1)). The GISD Board of Education developed a fair and transparent process to fill the vacancy as requested which included an opportunity for qualified applicants to be interviewed by the GISD Board of Education.
To be considered for appointment, candidates were required to submit a one-page letter of application and one-page resume to the attention of Mr. Richard Hill, GISD Board of Education President, no later than 4:00 p.m. on October 13, 2022. This information was distributed to all local media outlets and placed on the GISD website on October 4, 2022, and was further communicated with a legal advertisement published with Mlive Flint (The Flint Journal) on October 6, 2022. However, the GISD Board of Education received zero (0) applications for consideration and therefore will no longer hold candidate interviews on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, as previously planned.
At its regular meeting on Monday, October 17, 2022, the GISD Board of Education unanimously approved an updated process to appoint a candidate to fill the vacancy on the Flint Community Schools Board of Education. In determining the updated process, the board considered that:
- The term that is to be filled expires on December 31, 2022;
- In the November 8, 2022, general election, there are three (3) 6-year terms, one (1) 4-year term, and one (1) 2-year term on the ballot for the residents of the Flint Community Schools to consider for the Flint Community Schools Board of Education; and
- To extend another application window after posting and interviewing interested candidates would likely take another two (2) to three (3) weeks—essentially the time from now until the November general election.
Therefore, the GISD Board of Education updated the vacancy appointment process by resolving to appoint the candidate who receives the highest number of votes to fill one of the 6-year terms on the Flint Community Schools Board of Education in the November 8, 2022, general election. Once election results are determined, the GISD Board of Education will schedule a special meeting to officially appoint the candidate with the most votes to serve out the remainder of the vacated term prior to beginning their newly elected term in January.
Given the relatively short remainder of the vacated term and the timeliness of the upcoming general election, the GISD Board of Education believes that this updated process will allow the residents of the Flint Community Schools to determine the make-up of the Flint Community Schools Board of Education, including the individual to fulfill the remaining two months of the vacated term.
All questions, comments, or requests for information may be submitted to Dr. Steven Tunnicliff, Superintendent, Genesee Intermediate School District, 2413 West Maple Avenue, Flint, Michigan 48507-3493.
