Patricia Ward has resigned from the San Benito County Board of Education after serving for 43 years, and officials are preparing to appoint a new board member to replace her.
Anyone who lives in County Office of Education District 5 can apply for the appointed board seat. Applications can be found on the office’s website at https://www.sbcoe.org/District/1273-Board-of-Education.html, or by calling County Education Executive Administrative Assistant Monica Barragan at (831) 637-5393, ext. 126. Applications can be sent to the San Benito County Office of Education, 460 Fifth Street, Hollister, CA 95023, Attn: Reb Monaco, Board President.
The newly appointed board member will serve until Dec. 9, 2022, when Ward’s current four-year term will expire, reads a press release from the county office of education. The seat will open for a two-year provisional term in the November 2022 general election, and for a new four-year term in the November 2024 general election.
The board will interview candidates at its regular meeting scheduled for 4pm April 8, and make an appointment by majority vote after the interviews.
County Board of Education District 5 includes the northwestern portion of San Benito County. To view the District 5 boundaries, visit https://cosb.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=9677a97420e146fdaa1d0cec7aa9faea.
Ward served on the county board of education longer than any member in history, according to Barragan. Ward served on the board initially from 1965 to 1968, and again from 1980 to 2021.
