Ten hopefuls vie for DVUSD board seat
by Brian DiTullio

DVUSD – Ten applicants are under consideration for appointment to the vacant seat on the Deer Valley Unified School District governing board.

Sandi Hicks, director of public relations, recently released the names of the applicants. They include Carol Ayott, Tom Boone, Roger Debonis, Randal Eden, Cheryl Fisher, Donna Gloshen, Carl Hulsle, Mark Liebman, Anne Ordway and Stephanie Pitel.

Notable among the candidates: Ayott is a PTA president, Boone a state legislator representing District 4, and Ordway a previous governing board candidate.

Attorney David Cantelme, a former member of the governing board, was initially an applicant but later withdrew his application, according  to Hicks.

Interviews are set for the coming week, but Hicks couldn’t say when a decision on a replacement for former board member Ted Carpenter would be made. Carpenter resigned from the board Feb. 2 to take a deputy superintendent’s position with the Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools Office.

Whoever is selected will serve out Carpenter’s term, due to expire at the end of 2008. Dr. Sandra Dowling, Superintendent of Schools for Maricopa County, will make the selection.

The DVUSD governing board consists of five members elected by popular vote. A president and clerk are selected from the five by fellow board members and serve in those capacities for one year. All board members must reside within the district.