Of the ten district residents who sought to be considered for an open seat on the Westonka School Board, seven have been selected to make a face-to-face pitch to the panel next month.
At the board’s Jan. 28 meeting, chair Ann Bremer announced the names of the finalists that will be interviewed by the board during a special session set for 5 p.m., Feb. 7.
Among those in the running to fill the vacancy left by the December resignation of Chuck Walerius, who moved out of the district, are: Jeffery Bauer, an accountant and financial analyst from Minnetrista; Mound resident Pastor Loren Davis; Keith Foerster, a Mound resident and business development consultant; Michael J. Risvold, Minnetrista resident and chief of police for the city of Wayzata; Bradley J. Thorson, an attorney from Minnetrista; and Gary Wollner, a business owner and resident of Mound.; and Mound resident and business owner Ray Salazar.
School board members reviewed ten applications for the vacant position, with the intent of whittling the list down to six applicants to be interviewed. There was a tie for the final spot, adding a seventh candidate to be considered.
In submitting their names for consideration, each of the original ten applicants was asked to respond to three questions identifying:
the three most pressing issues facing the district and how the candidate would address those issues;
ways the candidate would improve overall achievement while remedying the district’s $1.1 million budget shortfall;
professional or volunteer involvement in the community and school district.
The candidates’ responses can be found at the district’s Web site: www.westonka.k12.mn.us.
Each of the seven finalists will appear before the board in a 30-minute interview. Following the final interview, the board members will vote to determine who will be appointed to the vacant seat. The applicant with the most votes will be seated at the next regular board meeting, Feb. 11. In the event of an unbreakable tie, voting will be undertaken again at the Feb. 11 meeting.
The interviews will take place in the Community Room of the Educational Service Center, 5901 Sunnyfield Road East, Minnetrista.
The public is welcome to observe the interviews, any subsequent board discussion, and the board vote.
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