WOODLAND HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Adopted Timeline and Procedure for Filling Two Board Vacancies

Overview

This document sets out the process the Woodland Hills School District (WHSD) Board of Directors will follow to fill two vacancies on the Board of Directors. The process is designed to comply with Section 315 of the Pennsylvania Public School Code, the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, and the Sunshine Act, and follows the guidance in the Pennsylvania School Boards Association's Guide for Filling a School Board Vacancy (December 2024). Because two seats are vacant, the Board will conduct one coordinated application and public-review process while making a separate appointment to each vacant seat.

Timeline

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered, an applicant must meet all of the following requirements. These are the same requirements that apply to candidates running for election to the Board.

Application Process

• Both vacancies will be publicized through the District's standard communication channels (website, social media, and any local media outlets the Board typically uses). The notice should identify each vacant region and make clear that two seats will be filled.
• Interested residents who meet the eligibility requirements above submit a letter of interest, along with a completed Statement of Financial Interests (SFI), no later than Friday, September 25, 2026. Each applicant should identify the vacant region for which they are applying. A resident may be considered only for a seat for which they satisfy the applicable regional residency requirement.
• Board staff verify that each applicant meets the residency, age, regional residency, and other eligibility requirements for the specific vacant seat before the application is presented to the full Board.
• Consistent with the Sunshine Act, the Board cannot discuss or evaluate applicants in executive session. Any Board discussion of the merits of applicants must occur in a public meeting.

Public Comment Opportunity

The Board will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at which all eligible applicants for both vacant seats will be given the opportunity — though it is not required — to publicly respond to questions related to the Board position.  This allows candidates to briefly introduce themselves to the Board and the community ahead of the votes at the October 14 Agenda Setting meeting.

Voting Procedure

• A quorum — a majority of the Board's authorized membership — must be present.
• Each appointee must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office. The Board should vote separately on each vacant seat.
• The vote must take place in a meeting open to the public, in compliance with the Sunshine Act.
• The minutes must reflect how each Board member voted.
• The Board should agree in advance on the voting method it will use for each vacancy (for example, a motion to appoint a specific individual, or successive nominations with votes taken until one candidate receives a majority). The two seats should be handled as separate appointment actions, with the minutes clearly identifying the candidate appointed to each region.

After the Vote

• Each appointee must take the oath of office within 10 days of being notified of the appointment. If an appointee does not take the oath within that window, the Board may declare that seat vacant and restart the process for that seat.
• Each appointee's SFI is retained with the records of other district officials; SFIs of unsuccessful applicants are returned to them.
• The length of each appointee's term depends on how much time remains in the respective vacated term and the timing of the next municipal election. The Board Secretary/Solicitor should confirm the term for each seat separately, including whether each appointee will serve the remainder of the term or only until the next municipal election, consistent with Section 315 of the School Code.