On Thursday evening, the Columbia school board voted unanimously to appoint Paul Wagner to fill the board’s current vacancy left by former board member Jeanne Snodgrass.
The meeting began with opening statements from both candidates, Wagner and Erica Perry, followed by a series of randomly selected questions with 90 seconds each to answer.
After the candidates’ concluding statements, board members remarked that it would be a difficult vote, including board member Suzette Waters.
“I think any one of you would be an excellent addition to our team, and I hope that no matter who we eventually choose, that you will both file to run in December and maybe both be on the board,” Waters said.
Wagner’s time on the board will last until the next municipal election in April, after which voters will choose a candidate to serve for the rest of the term.
