Board member Pam Hemminger is resigning from the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Board of Education as she assumes a seat on the Board of County Commissioners.

The Board of Education has initiated a process for appointing a new member to fill Hemminger's term, which expires in December 2009. Interested parties must submit an application with three supporting letters by noon on November 6. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit these documents electronically to facilitate dissemination to Board members.

Applications should be submitted to Donna Wyatt at dwyatt@chccs.k12.nc.us or may be mailed or delivered to her at Lincoln Center, 750 S. Merritt Mill Road , Chapel Hill , NC 27516 . Mailed applications must be postmarked by Nov. 6.

The Board will hold a special meeting on Nov. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lincoln Center to interview those who have submitted completed applications.

On Nov. 20, the Board will meet to make its selection at its regularly scheduled meeting. The successful candidate will be sworn in at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at Chapel Hill Town Hall.

An optional orientation for interested candidates will be held on Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. at Lincoln Center. All interested candidates are strongly encouraged to attend in order to gain an understanding of the expectations and time commitments associated with serving as a member of the Board of Education.

While no candidate may have all these qualities, the following will be considered:

•Professional and/or volunteer experience in the schools or in education, preferably in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools;

•Experience as a volunteer in the community with priority given to programs that positively affect children and families;

•Experience with diverse persons, students and families, including ethnic groups, socioeconomic groups and exceptional children;

•Flexibility to attend meetings and perform the work expected of a school board member;

•Knowledge of existing and planned programs in CHCCS or the willingness to acquire such knowledge;

•Good communication skills;

•Experience on non-profit boards or similar leadership teams; and

•Other skills or experiences of value to the Board of Education.

In order to serve on the Board, a candidate must reside in the school district, not be a convicted felon, not have a current conflict of interest situation with the district, be a registered voter and be at least 21 years of age.

School board meetings set

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education will meet in closed session on Monday at 6 p.m. in Lincoln Center to discuss a personnel matter. The board will then continue in closed session at 7 p.m. for the purpose of working on the superintendent's annual evaluation.

The board will meet on Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. in Lincoln Center to review School Improvement Plans. This meeting is open to the public.

The board will meet in closed session again on Oct. 20, and Oct. 23, if necessary, to complete work on the superintendent's evaluation. Both of these meetings are slated to begin at 7 p.m. in Lincoln Center.

A quorum of members will be in attendance at the Public School Foundation's Walk for Education on Oct. 18, at 3 p.m. at McCorkle Place on the UNC campus. This is not a formal meeting at which any discussion or action is anticipated.

McDougle to hold Fall Festival

McDougle Elementary School's annual Fall Festival will take place on Oct. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the school's grounds, 900 Old Fayetteville Road, Carrboro.

The festival is a fundraising, family-centered event that is open to the public. Carnival games with prizes, a bouncy house, crafts, a silent auction, $1 raffle, food and live entertainment are among the many attractions.