A judge said this Colorado school board picked a member in secret. Now there will be a do-over.
Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name. Nearly eight months after appointing a new board member to a vacant seat, a southern Colorado school board must redo the pick to comply with two court decisions in a case over open meetings law…
A Colorado school board has been ordered to reappoint a member after a judge ruled that a secret appointment of a fifth member was in violation of the open meetings law. Susie Carnes, who had been serving in the seat since February, will be reconsidered for the position. The Pueblo School District 70 board's decision to appoint Carnes via email, bypassing quorum rules, led to court rulings in August and September.
The district must now select a new board member at a meeting on Tuesday. The legal costs for the district, which include nearly $75,000 in attorney fees, could cause a shift in the board's majority if a different candidate is selected. The case arose when three candidates who were not chosen during the original appointment process filed a lawsuit.
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