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By the time you read this, Buckingham School Board member Jennifer Spessard will have resigned from her seat. Spessard told the board back in October that she was stepping down as of Jan. 1, 2025. After a recent health scare, her family had been urging her to cut back on her work and that meant giving up her seat. 

Now that the seat is vacant, the school district staff is opening the door to take applications for Spessard’s successor. There are a few rules involved, when it comes to who can apply and how to go about doing it. 

This has to be someone who lives in District 1, same as Spessard. Also, you’ll be asked to write a statement of interest, explaining to the school board why you want the position. Third, your statement of interest can’t be more than 300 words and needs to include 25 signatures from registered voters in District 1. Let’s be clear on this one. That means you have to go out, pen and paper in hand, and get at least 25 people to sign their signature, stating they support your desire to fill that empty seat. 

Think about this like when you collect documents and put material together for a job interview, because that’s exactly what this is. You have to bring all that together, along with a resume, and submit it to the Clerk of the Buckingham County School Board at 15595 West James Anderson Highway, Buckingham Virginia 23921. The deadline to turn it in is 5 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2025. And just like a job interview, it doesn’t look great if you leave some things out. You have to include your statement of interest, your at least 25 signatures and your resume.

What’s the timeline to fill the spot? 

Residents will have a chance to weigh in on this too, during the month of January. Once they get all the candidates in, the school board will release all the information, including the different resumes. Residents are then invited to read through, choose a favorite and inform their board member about which one they prefer. The board will then meet on Feb. 5 in closed session to interview applicants, with a final decision being made at the regular meeting on Feb. 12.

About the Buckingham School Board search 

And just a couple quick reminders on the second search happening in Buckingham. The school board this month said they want local residents to be involved in the search for the next superintendent, as Dr. John Keeler will step down at the end of this school year. 

Mainly, they want people to share what qualifications are important in a candidate. To get that input, the board members created a survey, available at both https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BuckinghamSearch2025 and on the home page of the division web site. For those who want a printed copy instead, you can pick one up at the school board administration office, any of the schools in Buckingham or at the Buckingham public library. The deadline to complete and turn in the survey is Jan. 12, 2025. 

In addition to the surveys, the Buckingham School Board plans to hold a public hearing, where they can also get input from residents about the hunt for a new superintendent. That’ll take place on Wednesday, Jan. 15, starting at 5 p.m. in the Buckingham County Middle School Cafeteria. The school is located at 1184 High School Road in Buckingham.