Pekin Schools look to special election

When the polls closed at the end of the Nov. 5 city-school election, many in Keokuk County assumed that that would be it, and there would be no more elections until next June.

Recent developments, however, have made it clear that that assumption likely is incorrect. On Nov. 5, Heidi Baker was elected to director district 4 on the Pekin School Board, defeating Shawn Echelberry. At the time of the Nov. 5 election, Baker held the at-large seat on the Pekin School Board. As a result of her election to director district 4, Baker was required to resign her seat as an at-large member of the board.

Baker did so, and initially, the board had planned on appointing someone to fill her seat. However, before that could occur, Jared Greiner, who has served in the director district 2 seat, resigned from the board, effective Nov. 19. After putting a call to the public to encourage residents to apply to fill the vacancies on the board, seven residents put in their names. As a result of the number of residents interested in being appointed, as well as the fact that there are now two seats open on the board, Superintendent Dave Harper said that the district is now looking at having a special election to fill the vacancies. However, it is not quite as simple as the board passing a resolution calling for a special election.

“I have learned that the board cannot request a special election. They have to either appoint or if they can’t agree, then wait 30 days and let it trigger,” Harper said.

Harper was referring to a section of Iowa Code that states the board has 30 days from the date a vacancy on the board becomes known to take action on it. If the board does not take action within 30 days, state law requires that a special election be called. Dec. 19 is the drop dead date that the board must take action or a special election will be triggered. Harper said that it’s his belief that the inclination of the board is to let that date pass without an appointment being made by the board.

“I think most of them are leaning towards a special election anyway with seven [applicants],” he said.

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