ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - The Elk Grove Unified School District Board of Trustees announced plans at its Jan. 14 meeting to avoid a potentially pricey special election and appoint a replacement for the vacant Area 4 trustee seat. 

Most of the board was in favor of the appointment route, which would avoid an estimated $324,000 special election to replace Gina Jamerson, who resigned from the seat in December. She was appointed to the seat in 2021, after Bobbie Singh-Allen resigned from the chair following her successful 2020 bid for Elk Grove mayor. Jamerson was then elected to a full four-year term in 2022.  

The board members had the option to hold a special election, which would have occurred in November, but all expressed concerns about leaving the area without representation for an elongated period. 

Area 4 includes Laguna Creek High School; and John Ehrhardt, Elliott Ranch, Foulks Ranch, Marion Mix, Joseph Sims and Stone Lake elementary schools. 

“I don’t want to leave a district without representation for a year,” Area 5 Trustee Beth Albiani said, “No matter your relationship with your board member, at least you have a relationship, and you have a board member to go to.”

If the board opted to hold a special election, the seat would remain vacant until the election. The seat would then be open for reelection in November 2026. 

“I think for such a short period of time, it’s fiscally irresponsible to spend that sort of money then turn around and spend almost equally the same amount and to leave that area without a representative is irresponsible as well,” Area 1 Trustee Susan Davis said. 

Area 3 Trustee and Board Vice President Trustee Sean Yang agreed, adding that due to budget shortfalls expected to occur over the next fiscal year, he was in favor of making an appointment. 

“For me, the fact that we are lacking funding and have to spend over $300,000 on this, to me, it makes more sense for seeking appointment.,” Yang said. 

Trustee Jennifer Ballerini said she questioned how the $324,000 needed for the special election could be better served throughout the district. 

“It’s just so much money,” Ballerini said. “I can’t even see putting it toward an election that won’t even happen for a year.” 

Area 7 Trustee Heidi Moore was the only trustee to lean toward a special election, but acknowledged the timeframe and cost was prohibitive. 

Still, she said an appointment deprives Area 4 voters from picking their own representative. 

“I would prefer to have a special election,” Moore said. “But I can see that my colleagues do not necessarily agree with that. Because of the long time that the seat would be open, I do believe that the residents, constituents in Area 4, deserve to have representation.” 

According to Deputy Superintendent Kristen Coats, who provided a presentation on the matter, the district will advertise the appointment process until Jan. 27. 

A subcommittee will review and screen applications and on Feb. 7, the district will post names of the candidates selected for interview. 

On Feb. 13, the district will hold a special board meeting to interview candidates in person during a public hearing. 

The selected appointee will be sworn in that same day. 

More information and an application packet can be found at egusd.net.