The Juneau School Board has selected Lisa Worl to finish out the term of Kim Poole, who recently resigned.
The board Tuesday night voted for Worl, who was among six candidates for the seat, including two who had run in the fall municipal election.
All six were interviewed by the board on Monday. At Tuesday’s meeting, members cast two secret ballots – the first for their top three choices, then a runoff ballot.
Worl competed against Myrna Gardner, Janice Hotch, Jennifer LaRoe, Michelle Johnston and Will Muldoon. Johnston and Muldoon were among five candidates who ran for the board in the October election.
Worl has been on the Auke Bay Elementary and Floyd Dryden Middle School site councils, a substitute teacher and classroom volunteer. She also served two years on the school board’s Budget Advisory Committee.
She will be sworn in at the first meeting in January, as the new budget committee begins its work. Worl says the work of the expanded committee – which includes members from each school site council – is crucial to the budget process.
“It’s really important to get that input throughout because the decisions are going to be very difficult,” Worl says. “We’ve had to cut so much – nearly $4 million last year and it’s getting very, very challenging and it will be a painful process. Nobody wants their programs cut and they’re all very important.”
Worl says it is likely she would run for the school board seat next fall, when her short term is up.
