By Kristin Rover
Sun staff

West Clermont Local School District Board of Education has been missing a board member since former board member Mark Merchant passed away in May.

Board members had 30 days to make a decision about a new board member and failed to agree on a replacement.

“The law required us to do it within 30 days,” Tammy Brinkman, board member, said. “We were on a very tight restraint.”

Brinkman said the board could not agree or compromise on one of the individuals who expressed interest in the position.

She said there were 10 individuals interested, and she felt only eight were viable candidates for the district.

“We were familiar with everyone who had applied,” Brinkman said.

Brinkman said the applicants included parents in the district and two Tea Party candidates that did not have children in the district and had been critical of the district and the board.

She said she does not feel that the Tea Party candidates have the best interest of the students in mind and is unsure why the Tea Party has such an interest in the district.

Board Member Jim Lewis said he would like someone who is not invested in the district replace Merchant on the board.

“The two people I wanted to replace Mr. Merchant are people who would go forward with making some changes,” Lewis said. “I would hope that the next board member would be Jeff Kohls, because, of the people in the area, he is most knowledgeable, not invested, and understands that changes need to be made.”

Lewis said they need someone at the district who is ready to make changes.

“What we are doing now is not working,” Lewis said.

Board Member Tina Sanborn said she is supporting who Mr. Merchant told her he would want as a replacement.

“What I was trying to do was what Mr. Merchant asked me to do in person,” Sanborn said. “He said if something were to happen to him, he made it clear he would like Jeff Kohls to have his position. His second choice would be Mr. Jimmy Link.”

Sanborn said she and Merchant worked well as president and vice president when he was on the board.

“We had the same ideas of how the board should be run and what we would like to see changed,” Sanborn said.

Brinkman said the board could not agree on a replacement member within 30 days.

“Once we exhausted that 30 days, then if we didn’t agree on an individual it moves to a judge,” Brinkman said.

Board members said they are comfortable with Judge James Shriver making the decision about the new board member at this point.

“I am disappointed that we together as a board couldn’t come to a consensus on a candidate,” Brinkman said. “I am comfortable with the judge making a decision. I think it’s a good thing that the judge is screening the process a little better than we were able to.”

Brinkman said she is hoping the judge will chose someone who brings diversity to the board.

“I would like our fifth board member to be someone who has a different opinion that the four existing members,” Brinkman said. “Someone who is 110 percent, putting the students and the district to the forefront.”

Lewis said he is hopeful that the judge will make the right decision.

“I am hopeful he will go with people who want a change of direction at the school board,” Lewis said.

Judge Shriver is collecting resumes from individuals interested in serving on the board until 4 p.m. July 16.

Interested individuals must submit a resume and cover letter expressing why they are interested in the seat along with the application. The applicant must also agree to a background check and drug screen.

Applications can be picked up at Clermont County Probate Court, 2379 Clermont Center Drive in Batavia, or downloaded at http://probatejuvenile.clermontcountyohio.gov/SchoolBoardApplication.pdf.

Applications can be delivered by mail to Probate Court or emailed to probatejuvenile@clermontcountyohio.gov.

The person selected by Shriver for the position must run in the November 2015 election in order to retain the seat.