PHOTO PROVIDED The Keystone Central School District Board of Directors are pictured during a special public meeting on Thursday night. The meeting was to hold interviews for candidates of the vacant Region IX seat. However, the board elected to push the interviews to next Thursday to allow both interested candidates the ability to interview.

MILL HALL — The Keystone Central School District Board of Directors postponed the interviews and special voting session to fill the vacant Region IX seat on Thursday night.

The decision was made as the board came together to interview two candidates for the region, which encompasses Renovo and South Renovo boroughs and Leidy, Chapman, Steward, East Keating, Noyes, Grugan and Gallagher townships. Candidates that applied for the position were Megan Houser and Roger Kshir II.

Before the interviews could begin, Board Member Chris Scaff motioned to postpone the interviews and special vote to appoint a candidate until Thursday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. He cited Houser’s documented scheduling conflict, which she shared with the board on Jan. 24.

According to an email from Houser which Scaff read, she noted at the bottom of her application that a prior work commitment would see her flying back from a recruitment event at the University of North Dakota at the time of the interviews. She asked if the board would consider an alternate date.

“I argued before it’s only fair people who put in an application have a chance to be heard. And I’m going to do it again,” Scaff.

Scaff’s motion also included a request to find out why the board did not have a proper discussion about moving the interviews to a different date.

He read from a timeline regarding Houser’s request, noting that on Friday, Jan. 30, Board President Elisabeth Lynch sent out an email to the board about the request. The email, he said, noted the board needed to make a decision by the following Monday.

He noted Kshir sent an email saying postponing the interviews would be okay with him.

“Today we’re in a rush to reset voting until next week. Why was it drug out since Jan. 24,” he asked.

The motion was seconded by Board Member Manny Rodriguez, who expressed frustration in a lack of discussion prior to holding Thursday’s special public meeting.

Rodriguez, who was previously employed at Quehanna Boot Camp in Clearfield — which was closed by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections — noted his job has seen major changes and he did not see the initial email from Houser requesting the date be changed.

“That email must have passed me. I’m upset because the decision was made for me,” he said. “I didn’t receive a phone call or anything. I feel it’s a little unfair to make that decision without being talked about by the board.”

He further agreed with a statement Scaff made earlier, that the policy committee can look at these procedures to better define them.

Board Vice President John Miller said he didn’t have an issue in postponing the interviews, but agreed a better policy needed to be put in place for conducting interviews.

“We as a board need to set a standard of consistency,” Miller said.

Board Member Shelby Bohartz said she wasn’t entirely aware of Houser’s request until she received “a bunch of emails” regarding the decision to hold the interviews even though Houser would have difficulty attending.

“It isn’t fair to Megan. It’s not fair to us,” Bohartz said.

Board Member Dr. Bill Baldino noted the board’s responsibility is first and foremost to find the most qualified candidate.

“Our responsibility and goal is to fill a seat with the best and most qualified individual. If we have to adjust for an individual we should do that. We shouldn’t exclude someone who can be an asset to our students,” she said.

Lynch was the final board member to speak on the motion. She said Houser “was never excluded, ever” from consideration of the interviews.

“I as a board member cannot be an authoritarian. (A decision) has to be made in the public,” she said. “The board champions reliability, consistency and transparency.”

Following discussion the board voted unanimously to move the interviews and special voting meeting to appoint a candidate to the Region IX seat beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12.