FARMINGTON --The Davis School Board appointed L. Burke Larsen, of Syracuse, to fill a board vacancy for 2010.He replaces Cheryl Werven, who resigned in November for personal reasons and has moved from Davis County to Weber County.
Larsen, 72, will represent areas of Clearfield, Layton and Syracuse from Jan. 1, 2010, until Dec. 31, 2010.
Werven, who joined the board in 2002, had one year left on her term.
Larsen was among five candidates interviewed in a public meeting Tuesday. He is retired from an Air Force Civil Service position at Hill Air Force Base. He has five children and 17 grandchildren.
The other four candidates were Kristi Bush, of Clearfield, Nike Peterson, of Clearfield, Michael Sperry, of Syracuse and Cheryl Phipps, of Clearfield.
School board members asked the five candidates four questions and gave them about three minutes to answer each question.
Board President Marian Storey said that, by law, the school board has to interview the candidates like "a meet-the-candidates night." Following the question-and- answer period, the board met in closed session to discuss the candidates. They then met in a public meeting to vote on their selection.
Candidates had submitted resumes before the meeting and each received a list of questions that board members could ask them.
One of the questions was about how the new board member would fund schools with cuts looming because of the economy.
Larsen said it is necessary to "protect the classroom," no matter what type of funding is available. He said any cut that is made should have the least impact on students.
School board member Walt Bain asked a question that was not on the list.
"I want to hear your commitment to public education," Bain said. "If you support school vouchers, this is not a position you should be seeking."
Four of the candidates, including Larsen, do not support school vouchers.
Bush did speak in favor of school vouchers.
"Often we see parents frustrated because of children with special needs," Bush said.
Bush said supporting school vouchers gives parents a choice and competition is a good thing because it causes businesses to improve.
"Whether or not this massacres me, so be it," Bush said.
Bush said after the meeting she knew her comments were not well received by board members, but "I cannot tell a lie."
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