The vacant Blue Earth Area School Board position has now been filled.

The board offered the position to Sheila Ripley after interviewing her and two other candidates Kim Johnson and Lori Frisk-Thompson at a special School Board meeting held on Wednesday, July 31 at 6:30 p.m.

Ripley and her husband Ken farm southeast of Blue Earth and they have four children.

During her interview, Ripley confessed that her mother and her father-in-law have served on a School Board before.

“So, I have a little idea of what it’s like and what can be possible and not so possible,” says Ripley.

She states that she views a role of the board is to explain to the public why the board makes the decisions they do.

“I understand that there are difficult decisions the board has to make,” says Ripley.

One quality that stood out about Ripley for the board was the research she had done on what a School Board does and does not do.

“I just feel that Sheila seemed to put more thought into her answers,” says chairman Frankie Bly.

Board member Jesse Haugh was also impressed with her answer to a question about the highest priority for using funds. Her response was geared toward keeping up with technology.

“I like that she has a background in education and that she’s been in the classroom,” says board member Terence Cahill.

“Any one of them would get the job done,” says Bly. “There’s no doubt about that.”

“I think we can encourage them all to be part of the election process because they would all be valuable to the board,” says Cahill.

Ripley will be officially appointed to the position at the next regular school board meeting on Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m.