The Atlanta school board will soon appoint a new interim member now that District 6 member Eshé Collins has won an Atlanta city council seat. Collins defeated Nicole “Nikki” Evans Jones in a Dec. 3 runoff to replace Keisha Sean Waites, who resigned in the spring.

Atlanta school board policy says if a vacancy occurs, the board must appoint an interim member within one year of the next general election. The District 6 seat is up for reelection in the fall of 2025.

Interested applicants have a tight timeline to meet. The board is holding a mandatory applicant orientation Monday and Tuesday at Atlanta Public Schools’ central office at 130 Trinity Ave in Atlanta. The application deadline is 5 p.m. on Dec. 20. Candidates can apply at atlantapublicschools.us.

The board will review applications during the week of Dec. 20 and will identify finalists by Dec. 27. Board members will then hold a community engagement session with the finalists on Jan. 6. The time and place are yet to be determined. Final interviews with the board will take place after that meeting.

There will be a called school board meeting Jan. 7 to announce the candidate and swear in that person ahead of the school board’s monthly meeting, which will be held that day.