Activists aim to overrule Sac City school board on Bell’s replacement
When Ellyn Bell made public her intention to leave the Sacramento City Unified School District board of trustees–so she could live closer to her new job in San Francisco–her colleagues on the school board decided it was too late and too expensive to call an election to fill her seat.So they plan to pick their own replacement to represent Area 1 (Land Park, Curtis Park, the Grid), and to serve the remainder of Bell’s term, which ends December 2014. The board is scheduled to pick from eight applicants, and to make that appointment this December 20.
That decision may be overruled by voters, however. Community activists and district labor unions are now calling for a special election to replace Bell. And they’re threatening a petition drive that would force an election, even if the board makes it’s own pick.
Annette Deglow is one of the folks leading the effort–she was also one of the community activists who helped to write and pass Measures J and K, which brought area elections to the district and replaced the old at-large system in 2006.
Deglow says the school board’s decision to appoint a new board member, rather than