[KHTS] – Four potential candidates applied to fill the vacancy of the Saugus Union School District governing board, officials said Tuesday.

Bruce Fox, Julie C. Coate, Mathew Clarke Ferguson and Christopher Trunkey applied for the vacancy created after former board member Doug Bryce announced his plans to resign and move to San Diego for a job opportunity.

“We’re definitely looking forward to being a complete board again,” said board President Paul De La Cerda.

The candidates will be publicly interviewed at a special meeting to be formally announced by the district Wednesday, he said, which will take place Nov. 18 before a regularly scheduled board meeting.

The appointment will be the district’s second in the last six months. After the courts approved vacating Stephen Winkler’s seat over the summer, officials names David Powell to the board in July.

An investigation by district officials resulted in charges he maintained his residence outside district boundaries.

SUSD officials are in the process of vetting applicants to ensure they meet the criteria, such as being over the age of 18, an eligible voter and a resident of the school district.

After a candidate is selected by the board, they’ll be sworn in and take part of their first meeting that same evening, De La Cerda said.

The state’s Education Code dictates how long the district has to fill the seat, he said, which was part of the reason why the swearing in is scheduled for the same evening.

“Moving forward, we have a lot of work ahead of us, including the implementation of Measure EE, and our budget are two important areas that are coming up,” he said.

More than 55 percent of voters approved the $148 million school-improvement bond measure last Tuesday to enhance facilities district-wide.

“We’re very appreciative of our community supporting public education,” De La Cerda said. “We’re indebted to all of our volunteers who put in a lot of time and their own personal investments to help us.”

The selection process is expected to be similar to the last appointment process as far as the structure, he added, but it could be a little different because there are fewer applicants.

The format would be discussed and explained at the start of the meeting, he added.