CLAFLIN — USD 112 School Board of Education member Cherilee Ward was elected by write-in during the Nov. 4 election, despite not putting her name on the ballot.

Following Monday night’s meeting, Board President Tamara Dody asked Ward if she intended to remain on the board.

“No, I am not,” Ward replied. “Someone else will have a chance.”

Ward represents District 2 — Dorrance. She began on the board on Feb. 10. The Nov. 4 election extended her term to Jan. 12, 2030.

Superintendent Bobby Murphy thanked Ward for her service.

“Cherilee, thank you for stepping in,” he said.

“I just wanted to help out. It was nice meeting everybody and thank you,” Ward said.

She explained her decision to not seek reelection the following day.

“I did not run for the school board position. Strangely, the other write-in candidate, Nathan Pasek, and I tied with six write-in votes,” Ward said. “I tried to decline the position before the coin toss to break the tie, but I was informed by the Ellsworth County Clerk that the process of the coin flip must be completed.

“I was asked to fill the unexpired BOE District 2, which covers the rural Wilson area. Since I had a career of 35 years in educating students, I was interested in completing the entire circle of education from a teacher to a board member. I was surprised to experience pushbacks as a board member when I challenged the status quo; for example when asking for background checks on school administrators.

“But I appreciated when the school board voted to repair Wilson’s new school building after years of neglect. By keeping the two board positions filled for the Wilson area, the school board better understands the importance of continuing a school in Wilson.

“I found driving the treacherous road in the dark to the board meetings in Claflin was more than I needed. My hope is someone in District 2 will fill the open school board position and continue representation for the Wilson rural area.”

According to Ellsworth County Deputy Clerk Julie Miles, “A vacancy will occur on the second Monday in January of 2026 when she (Ward) declines to take the oath of office. It will then be filled by normal vacancy procedures pursuant to K.S.A. 25-2022.”

Statute 25-2022 provides “Vacancies on boards of education filled by appointment; publication of notice; term of appointee. Any board shall have power to fill by appointment any vacancy which occurs thereon, and such appointee shall serve for the unexpired term.

“When a vacancy occurs, the board shall publish a notice one time in a newspaper having general circulation in the school district stating that the vacancy has occurred and that it will be filled by appointment by the board not sooner than 15 days after such publication. If such vacancy occurs before May 1 of the second year of the term leaving an unexpired term of more than two years such appointee shall serve until the second Monday in January after the following general school election as provided in K.S.A. 25-2023, and amendments thereto.

“In the latter event, the unexpired term of two years commencing on the second Monday in January after the following general school election shall be filled at such election and the ballots or ballot labels and returns of election with respect to such office shall be designated as follows: ‘To fill the unexpired term.’” In other business:

• The board unanimously approved the acceptance of a donation of $2,500 from the Run Wilson Fund.

“The Run Wilson organization has approximately $2,500. It was originally designated to replace the track at Wilson,” Murphy said. “They are wanting this donation to go to the Wilson School for needs they might have.”

• Murphy gave the board an update on the status of KESA 2.0, which is a school improvement model for accreditation.

“We are working on this and are very close to having it completed, then it will be submitted to KSDE for approval,” he said. “Hopefully we will hear something back before Christmas break. Usually they give us a little feedback on if we need any changes.”

• Under Capital Outlay Items, Murphy advised the board they had received another bid on the gym ladder, have three bids on the Wilson library and have bids on football lights, but he encouraged the board to take no action until the situation with the boiler at Wilson

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Elementary School is resolved.

“With us working on the boiler system at Wilson Elementary School right now, we need to get that up and running and make sure it is going to run before we can move forward with and of these,” Murphy said. “They are about 95 percent sure it is two of the drives in that boiler that they did order and are supposed to be getting in quickly to get replaced.

“I want to make sure we don’t fall in the other five percent that isn’t what that boiler needs to be running. If we are looking at a new boiler, it is upwards of $100,000,” he said. “I don’t want to recommend moving forward on any of these items until we know for sure.”

• Murphy said the classrooms currently have heat due to a split-system recently installed.

• Following a presentation by a school nurse, the board approved a district wide EPI policy in schools.

• Following an executive session for nonelected personnel, no action was taken.

The next meeting will be 6 p.m. Jan. 12 at the CPJSHS cafeteria.