Melissa Barnes Dholakia, chair of the Bend-La Pine school board, has resigned, and the school district is seeking applications to fill her vacant seat, the board announced at its Tuesday meeting.

Barnes Dholakia will be applying for the district’s deputy superintendent position, and wanted to avoid a perceived conflict of interest, she said in her resignation letter, obtained by The Bulletin. Current Deputy Superintendent Lora Nordquist will be retiring June 30.

With Barnes Dholakia’s resignation, the board also elected new officers to serve through June 2024. Marcus LeGrand will serve as the board chair and Carrie McPherson Douglass will serve as the vice chair.

Barnes Dholakia was elected to the school board in 2019 and was reelected in 2023. She has served in various educational leadership positions and is currently a leadership coach and consultant for school districts around the country. She also worked as a teacher, principal and school district co-director.

“I have spent my entire career in education, building, running, and advising schools and districts. I miss that hands-on work,” Barnes Dholakia wrote in her April 4 resignation letter to Superintendent Steve Cook and the rest of the board.

“Lora Nordquist leaves very big shoes to fill in the district — while I won’t claim to fill them, I believe I have the right skills at the right time to ensure a smooth transition for the district and continue to move our shared work forward,” she wrote in her letter.

The annual salary range for deputy superintendent is $170,542-$176,563, according to job listings.

The board voted Tuesday to declare Barnes Dholakia’s position vacant and established a timeline for appointing a successor to serve through June 2025. The position will also be on the May 2025 ballot for a two-year term.

Applications for the vacancy are due 4 p.m. May 29. Board members Amy Tatom and Cameron Fischer will review applications as a selection team and make the final recommendation at the June board meeting. The new member will be sworn in at the July board meeting.

Applicants must reside within a Deschutes County voting precinct, have lived there for at least one year, reside within Bend-La Pine Schools’ attendance area and be registered to vote. Barnes Dholakia’s seat is for Zone 6 and is at large, meaning it is not confined to any specific geographic area.

School board application

Applications for the Bend-La Pine Schools’ board member vacancy can be found online at the district website, www.bend.k12.or.us/district/home/school-board.

Applications for the Bend-La Pine Schools’ board member vacancy can be found online at the school board website.