Carol Schaefer was appointed temporarily to the Emporia school board during a special meeting Monday evening at the Mary Herbert Learning Center.
Schaefer, a former board member whose term expired in June 2005, agreed to serve the unexpired term of former member Jeffry Larson. In December, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius appointed Larson to serve as a district judge for the Fifth Judicial District. He resigned from the school board at the Jan. 10 meeting.
The board decided to fill the vacancy temporarily. Larson’s position is one of the board positions the ballot for the general election in April. Schaefer will serve until June 30, when newly elected board members will take office.
Schaeffer was elected to the Emporia board of education in 1993. During her 12 years on the board, she served three years as president and four years as vice president, according to information provided by board president Grant Riles.
Schaeffer also served on the Emporia Recreation Commission Board of Directors and numerous other committees throughout the district. She was a member of the board when Emporia voters passed a $35 million bond issue to build Riverside and Timmerman elementary schools, as well as remodel and build additions to most other school buildings in the district.
The board asked Riles to talk with former board members to determine who would be interested in accepting an interim appointment.
“Carol was the most recently retired board member,” Riles said. “Carol said she is willing to serve ...”
The board voted 4-0 to appoint Schaefer.
Riles, Jerry Fair, Mary Helmer and Kevin Nelson were present for the vote. Homer Garza and Mike Crouch were absent.