Ben Kleban
Orleans Parish School Board member Ben Kleban will step down from his District 5 post on June 15, and the board is looking for someone to finish out his term.
Kleban announced his resignation in March, saying in an email that he and his wife and three children plan to move to Washington State to be closer to their extended family.
Before joining the board in 2017, Kleban founded and led the charter school network New Orleans College Prep, which operates Hoffman Early Learning Center, Lawrence D. Crocker College Prep elementary school and Walter L. Cohen College Prep high school.
The Orleans Parish School Board will appoint someone to finish his unexpired term, which ends Dec. 31. The board plans to announce its District 5 appointment at its May 14 Board Business Meeting, NOLA Public Schools states in a press release.
Voters will choose a new District 5 representative in November. Qualifying for that election will take place in July.
OPSB District 5. PDF of the district can be found here.
District 5 includes a large swath of Uptown, extending along the river from the Warehouse District to Jefferson Avenue and up into Broadmoor and other neighborhoods. Kleban ran unopposed in 2016 for the seat previously held by Seth Bloom, who did not run for re-election.
To be eligible to fill the vacancy, candidates must be at least 18 years old, a resident in Louisiana for the preceding two years and live in District 5. Application materials must be submitted by May 12 at noon.
Materials should be addressed to Board President Ethan Ashley and mailed to the OPSB Board Office, 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055, New Orleans, LA 70114 or emailed to the OPSB Board Counsel at swilliams@fishmanhaygood.com.
The application includes:
• A Letter of Interest to OPSB President Ethan Ashley.
• A résumé
• A notarized Affidavit of Qualifications form, available here
• Copies of documents that demonstrate the required residency: (1) lease or proof of homestead exemption; (2) utility bill bearing the applicant’s name; and (3) voter registration card
• A copy of a current Louisiana driver’s license (or other official Louisiana identification)
• A short Vision Statement responding to these questions: (1) What is your vision for public education in Orleans Parish? (2) What in your experience best qualifies you for this interim appointment? (3) What do you believe a “quality” school district looks like? (4) What are your top three priorities that you would like to address if you are selected?
For more information, contact the OPSB board counsel at swilliams@fishmanhaygood.com.
