Boards of education; providing special election process to fill vacancy. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 709 changes how Oklahoma school districts fill vacancies on school board elections. It replaces the previous option for boards to appoint members to fill vacancies with a requirement for special elections. The bill sets specific deadlines: candidates must file for special elections within 10 days of a vacancy being declared, and boards must fill vacancies within 60 days (or hold a special election if they miss the deadline). This affects all Oklahoma public school districts and technology center school districts, directly impacting how they handle unexpired board terms.