Upper Lake Unified trustee abruptly resigns; board votes to make provisional appointment

The Upper Lake Unified School District board voted 4-0 to fill an open seat through a provisional appointment instead of a special election. The vacancy came when the board clerk resigned, citing health issues, in a letter effective Oct. 1, 2026, about two years before her term was due to end. The trustee who made the motion said it would save money, because special elections can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The student board member took part in the vote.

Applications will be available on the district website and at the district office. Candidates will be interviewed in open session at a special meeting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 28 at Upper Lake High School. The county superintendent of schools wrote that if no appointment is made by Nov. 30, 2026, he will call a special election at district expense. The appointee would serve through December 2028. Trustees also did not pick a new clerk, saying they lacked enough votes, so that item moves to the Nov. 10 meeting.

The vacancy comes during financial strain. The county office of education rejected the district's 2026-27 budget, citing among other problems the omission of nearly $800,000 in salaries, and asked a state team to analyze the district's cash flow. The district also asked the county to set up $2.5 million in borrowing capacity. The board approved a revised budget at the meeting.