John Masterson, retired Allen Community College president, was appointed to fill a vacancy on the USD 257 school board.
Masterson also has filed to run for the seat in the November election. He’s the only person to file, which makes him the presumptive nominee.
Because of that, board members agreed to appoint Masterson now. That means he’ll hold the seat at least until January. If elected, he’ll continue to hold the seat for at least two years until it comes up for election again.
The seat became vacant when Mandey Coltrane resigned in April. She was less than two years into her term, which meant the seat would go up for election to fill the remaining two years.
Board members had the option to hold the seat vacant until the election. Masterson said he was willing to join the board either before or after, and the board voted to bring him on now.
Masterson was not able to attend Monday’s meeting but will attend the next meeting on June 26.
Masterson grew up in Iola and served as ACC’s president for 30 years before his retirement in May 2022. He and his wife, Georgia, are active volunteers for numerous community organizations. Georgia has filed for a seat on the Iola City Council.
