By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

HOOVER—The Hoover City Council interviewed 15 applicants for a position on the Hoover City Board of Education during a special-called Education Committee meeting on April 6.

The City Council announced the upcoming vacancy on the BOE during a March 2 meeting. The position is currently occupied by long-time board member and current BOE president, Donna Frazier. Frazier has served on the Hoover BOE for two full, five-year terms, and is not seeking reappointment, city officials confirmed.

The Hoover City Council received 15 applications from a diverse group of candidates with a range of qualifications for the position on the BOE. Applicants included both current and retired private sector employees, engineers, lawyers, former members of the U.S. Military, academics in higher education and concerned parents.

Interviews of the 15 applicants were open to the public and conducted in the Hoover City Council Chambers beginning at noon and ending shortly after 5 p.m. on April 6.

Applicants for the BOE position are Curt Posey, Ronald Bradstreet, Dr. Katie McCarthy King, Shelley Shaw, Jill Ganus Veitch, Christine M. Bain, Laura Kleckley, Dominick Wallace, Walter Collier, Charles Eugene Fuller, Scarlett Naftel, Lonita Walker-Mede, Sean Grehalva, Dr. Stephanie Belton Turner and Dennis Quirk.

Council members questioned applicants on statistics about school system, which includes roughly 14,000 students at 17 schools and operates on a nearly $170 million budget. They were also asked about relevant experience, reasons for wanting to serve on the School Board and current issues facing the School Board and system.

Candidates listed rezoning, busing, financing, technology, charter schools and finding a permanent superintendent as the largest issues currently facing the school system. Many also indicated a need for more transparency and communication between the School Board and the community.

The City Council will likely select a candidate for appointment to the School Board during their April 20 regular meeting.