By Shauna Lund, Iron County School District
The Board of Education of the Iron County School District voted to appoint Helaman Haynie to fill the vacant seat in District 2.
In a special meeting, the Board interviewed the three applicants who submitted their interest by the deadline. Applicants had to be a registered voter, live in a primary residence located within District 2 and be a resident in the district for at least a year. The three applicants — Haynie, Jennifer Sullivan and Vickie Hicks — each responded to about a dozen questions asked by current board members.
Those questions included:
- Why they were interested in the position;
- How they could help support the district’s mission;
- An explanation of a time when they changed their mind on an important decision;
- Their ability to work with other board members who may have differing views, and;
- What change they would make if they could.
In his responses, Haynie said he wants to give back to his community. A lifelong resident of Iron
County, he said he has a responsibility to do his due diligence, especially as a father with kids in
school. He also said he trusts the system, but if there is an issue, he’s not afraid to address it.
If he had a magic wand and could do one thing, Haynie said he would give understanding to all
members of the community. He said like most members in the community, he does not always know the whole story. District business is often complex, he said, so he hopes he can help the community have better information so they can support the district’s decisions.
Following about an hour and a half of questions and answers, Board President John Taylor outlined the next steps. To avoid too much confusion, he asked board members to raise their hand and be recognized by him before moving forward with a motion to appoint a board member.
“Thank you so much for putting this horrible decision of choosing between three really awesome
people,” Taylor said. “I think it says a lot about your character, the willingness to just jump into the arena … you’re all hoping for the same things we are.”
The board took a short recess and then began the process of reaching a majority vote for a new
board member. Following a 4-2 vote, Haynie was officially sworn in as the seventh board member. He will fill the remainder of Ben Johnson’s time on the board. The District 2 seat will be up for election in 2028.