Oak Park Unified School District trustees have decided to appoint a temporary replacement to fill Marie Panec’s spot on the board.

The 57-year-old Panec died May 3, creating a vacancy on the five-member panel.

A special election was ruled out because of the $40,000 price tag. Board members also considered waiting until the November election to place the position on the ballot at a reduced cost, but the panel agreed that a fifth board member was needed immediately.

Board president Barbara Laifman said that if the four remaining members faced an issue that created a split vote, they would be unable to act.

“We need to get somebody,” Laifman said.

A qualified candidate is 18 years of age or older, a California citizen, an Oak Park resident and a registered voter. Potential candidates cannot be disqualified from holding a civil office by the U.S. Constitution or any California law, and they must be eligible to be elected or appointed as a member of the governing board of a school district without further qualifications.

Current employees are disqualified from applying for the post.

Applications are available at the district office, 5801 E. Conifer St., Oak Park, or they can be downloaded from the district’s website, www.oakparkusd.org.

Applications will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. Mon., June 6. Public interviews will be held Tues., June 14, and the public is also welcome to attend board deliberation at 6 p.m. on Mon., June 20.

The appointee will be sworn in and begin service at the regular board meeting on Tues., June 21.

The provisional appointment will fill the vacancy until the next regularly scheduled board election in November 2012, when the seat will be open for election for the balance of the term.

The term will expire in December 2014.

For more information, call Linda Sheridan at (818) 735-3206.

—Stephanie Bertholdo