Vacancy Policy Provisions

This page contains information about the legal and policy requirements to fill a vacancy on the Des Moines School Board.

The two legal and policy direct the policy for filling this vacancy are as follows:

The provisions of both policy references are the same and state:

The vacancy must be filled by appointment of the remaining directors until the next pending election.

There is no provision allowing residents of the district to petition for a special election to fill the vacancy, except in these instances:

  • When the school board fails to appoint a replacement within 30 days
  • When the vacancy reduces the number of school directors below a quorum

If there is no quorum, the school secretary is required to call a special election to fill the vacancy. If there is no school secretary, the area education agency administrator is required to call a special election to fill the vacancy. [§279.6, 279.7]

There are no specific publication requirements related to filling vacancies on school boards. A replacement must be appointed within 30 days of the date the vacancy becomes known by the secretary of the board.

If the School Board fails to appoint a replacement within 30 days after the vacancy becomes known by the secretary of the board, the school board secretary is required to call a special election within three days of the board’s failure to fill the vacancy. If the school secretary does not call a special election within three days after the board’s failure to appoint, the area education agency administrator is required to call the special election.