By JAMES MITCHELL
Sunday Times Newspapers
TRENTON — The Trenton Public Schools Board of Education will look to appoint a replacement trustee after accepting the resignation Friday of Trustee Dennis Bearden, 47, whose pending relocation leaves him ineligible to complete his term expiring in December.
Supt. Rodney Wakeham said Bearden will soon be moving out of the city and his resignation will be effective Aug. 15. The board will have until Sept. 15 to appoint a trustee to finish the term. A special meeting was held Friday morning to formally accept the resignation that previously had been announced.
“He wanted to give us some lead time to follow the process of finding a replacement,” Wakeham said. “He was a very good board member.”
Bearden was unavailable for comment prior to press time.
Wakeham said he anticipates receiving applications from would-be board members who may already be gearing up for a fall campaign. Bearden’s is one of three seats expiring this year, along with Thomas Kinney and David French.
“We do have people looking to run for the board,” Wakeham said. “We’re hoping we will have some viable candidates and have a person in place soon.”
Bearden, a lifelong resident who’d worked for Ford Motor Co. in its fleet sales division, was first appointed to the board in April 2007 to replace Richard Zimmerman, who’d resigned his post, and was elected that year to finish the term. He ran unopposed in 2009 for a second term.
Applicants interested in the vacancy and serving until Dec. 31 can obtain information at the board office, 2603 Charlton Road, or call 734-676-8600.
(James Mitchell can be reached at [email protected].)