OBERLIN — The Oberlin school board will interview candidates for a board vacancy left by the resignation of Paula Jones in an open meeting 4 p.m. Saturday in the cafeteria at Langston Middle School, school board President Beth Weiss said.

According to Weiss, four candidates have submitted applications, including pledge of allegiance advocate Shawn Marcin; John Memmott, who recently retired from the Oberlin Schools; Matthew Wyman; and Robert Baldwin.

During the public interviews, the board will ask questions of each candidate separately, during which the public is welcome to observe. Following the initial questions, the board will invite all candidates to answer follow-up questions and other inquiries from the public, according to a news release from the schools.

At that point, the board will retire to executive session to deliberate before returning to public session to vote to fill the vacancy, according to the release.

Oberlin resident Shirley R. Johnson, an open meeting advocate, said “that’s the way it should be” when told of the decision to interview candidates before the public, not behind closed doors.

Initially, the board had planned to interview candidates in executives session, but the decision was questioned by Johnson and Tim Smith, a Kent State University journalism professor and an attorney specializing in public records and open meetings law.

The Chronicle-Telegram also questioned the plan for closed-door interviews in an editorial.

Superintendent Geoffrey Andrews referred questions about the decision to hold open interviews to Weiss, who said it was made in consultation with other school board members. The length of the time remaining in the term was taken into consideration when making the decision, Weiss said.

Jones resigned her position Oct. 12 amid a police investigation into missing funds at the Eastwood Parent Teacher Organization. She has not been charged in the case.

The deadline for candidates to apply for the board vacancy is 3 p.m. Friday, and candidates should submit a resume, cover letter and three letters of recommendation, Weiss said.

She said she knows of several other people who might apply. The job pays $125 a meeting and there were 19 board meetings last year. Resumes and other material should be sent to Weiss in care of the Oberlin Schools.

Weiss said she thinks a good school board member is “someone who listens to the public and who is willing to support the policy and vision of the (school) administration.”

She said it also is important for school board members to ask questions “if something appears awry.”

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.

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