Battle Ground Public Schools

BGPS board of directors seeks applicants for open position

Update Feb. 24: The board of directors selected Andrew Lawhon to fill the district 2 position.

Jan. 25, 2023

The board of directors is accepting applications to fill the district 2 director position. District 2 Director Rob Henrikson announced his resignation at the Jan. 23 school board meeting.

Requirements
The board of directors is now accepting applications to fill the vacant district 2 director position. Applicants must be registered to vote and live in director district 2, which serves central and eastern portions of the district (see sidebar with directions for determining which director district serves your residential address).

By law, school district employees are not eligible to serve as board members.

Please note that this is a temporary appointment. The director position will be up for election in the August primary (if applicable) and November 2023 general election.

Process
By 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 10, applicants should submit the following:

• Letter of interest
• Resume with full name, physical address (including zip code), email address and telephone number where they can be reached during the day
• List of three references with contact information

Materials may be submitted to Sandy U’Ren, executive assistant to the superintendent and board of directors, by emailing uren.sandy@battlegroundps.org.

Applicants who wish to mail hard copies should send their materials to the following address:

Battle Ground Public Schools board of directors
c/o Sandy U’Ren
P. O. Box 200, Battle Ground, WA 98604

The appointment process follows the district’s policy 1114, “Board member resignation and vacancy.” Should a board member rescind their letter of resignation before the designated resignation date, the search for a new director will be terminated.

Timeline

• Feb. 10: Applications are due by 4:30 p.m.
• Feb. 14-17: Applicants are notified if they are selected for an interview
• Feb. 21-24 (date to be determined): Board interviews candidates and selects appointee
• March 13: New director is sworn in

Serving on the board
School directors are elected, unpaid positions that serve four-year terms. Directors who volunteer in this governing role help set the district’s direction, allocate resources, monitor performance and hold the district accountable for progress. Board activities are driven by the district’s core mission of student learning and achieving success for all students.

Battle Ground’s Board of Directors has received several Board of Distinction Awards from the Washington State School Directors’ Association in recent years, including most recently in December 2021 for exemplifying visionary leadership and closing opportunity gaps.

Board members are expected to attend regular meetings on the second and fourth Mondays of most months at 6 p.m., as well as special meetings and work sessions. Directors also participate in committees related to education and attend many school events throughout the year. Directors typically devote about 10 hours per week to board activities.

Each board member may receive compensation of $50 per day or portion thereof for attending board meetings and for performing other services on behalf of the school district, not to exceed $4,800 per year. Any board member may waive all or any portion of their compensation for any month or months during their term of office by a written waiver filed with the district.

Spanning 273 square miles, Battle Ground Public Schools is one of the largest and most geographically diverse districts in the state. The district supports approximately 12,000 students in 18 schools, including seven primary schools, six middle schools, one 3-12 academy, two comprehensive high schools, one alternative high school and one home school support program.

Resources

• Battle Ground Public Schools director information
• Serving on your local school board (Washington State School Directors’ Association)
• Washington School Board Standards (Washington State School Directors’ Association)
• For New School Directors (Washington State School Directors’ Association)