The Surry County School Board will announce one or more nominees on May 21 to temporarily fill the late Laura Ruffin’s Claremont District seat.

The board announced May 14 on the school division’s Facebook page that it would solicit applications through noon May 20 for county residents interested in filling the role until a special election can be held in November. Letters of interest were to be sent to School Board Clerk Lynne Jones. 

The nominee must be a registered voter in the Claremont District.

Ruffin, 77, died April 28, just over a year into her fourth consecutive term in office. The surviving board members recognized Ruffin’s service since 2012 at the board’s May 13 meeting.

SCPS Superintendent Herb Monroe said the board will follow the policies outlined by state law and the Virginia School Boards Association, of which Surry is a member.

Under state law, when a board member dies, the remaining board members have 15 days to petition the county’s Circuit Court for a writ of election and up to 45 days to vote among themselves on an interim appointee. The law requires that the board announce its nominee, or nominees, in a public meeting at least seven days prior to voting on the appointment, but does not require that the board hold a public hearing on the matter.

The May 21 meeting will be held at 5 p.m. at Luther Porter Jackson Middle School.

The board plans to vote on the appointment at 1 p.m. May 28 in the conference room at the Surry County government center at 45 School St.

The special election to fill the nearly three-year remainder of Ruffin’s term will likely be scheduled to coincide with this year’s Nov. 4 general election.