Want to lead NC’s largest school district? How to apply for Wake board vacancy
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wake County school board will fill District 8 seat created by Mahaffey’s exit.
- Applications due Oct. 30 must include resume, letters, and proof of domicile.
- Final candidate interviews scheduled for Nov. 25; swearing-in set for Dec. 2.
The Wake County school board is taking applications to fill the vacant seat created by Lindsay Mahaffey’s resignation.
The Wake County school board approved a timeline this week for seeking applications and interviewing candidates that could see the new board member take office in December. Mahaffey resigned at the end of August after nearly nine years on the board, saying she wanted to spend more time with her family.
Mahaffey represented District 8, which covers much of southwestern Wake. It includes parts of Apex, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina.
The eight other board members will fill the seat by choosing from the applicants. The board is officially non-partisan, but it has a 6-2 Democratic majority.
The district says the new board member will serve through November 2028. Mahaffey had been re-elected to a four-year term last November.
The new board member will help lead North Carolina’s largest school district and the 14th-largest school district in the country.
Filling vacancy after reassignment plan is approved
School leaders said there’s a reason they’re waiting more than two months to fill the vacancy.
The new board member will be chosen after the board approves the new student reassignment plan on Nov. 18, even though the initial draft of the reassignment plan impacts several District 8 schools and families.
School board vice chair Tyler Swanson said it would be unfair to ask the new board member to vote on an assignment plan that they have not been involved in.
“We felt it best not to bring on the new District 8 person in the middle of the reassignment, so therefore they would not be at a disadvantage,” Swanson said Tuesday.
Swanson said he’ll cover schools in the southern part of District 8 and school board chair Chris Heagarty will cover the northern half until the seat is filled. People in Mahaffey’s district can email their concerns to district8@wcpss.net.
“District 8 is still being taken care of,” Swanson said.
How to apply for Wake school board vacancy
Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 30, including submitting proof of residency. The board added proof of domicile requirements after a candidate picked to fill a vacancy in 2022 withdrew when his eligibility was questioned.
Applicants must live in District 8 and be at least age 21. Candidates should submit:
- A letter of interest, no more than three pages, outlining the candidate’s background and listing three initiatives that can be incorporated into the school board’s strategic plan.
- A resume.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Proof of domicile, including proof of voter registration and a current utility bill. Applicants who don’t have a utility bill should email district8vacancy@wcpss.net by 4:59 p.m. on Oct. 17 to arrange for another acceptable proof of domicile.
All materials submitted are considered public records and can be emailed to district8vacancy@wcpss.net or mailed or delivered to C/O District 8 Board of Education Vacancy, Wake County Board of Education, Crossroads I, 5625 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC 27518.
Candidates will be interviewed at a specially called meeting on Nov. 25. The vote would likely happen that day. The swearing-in ceremony will be on Dec. 2.
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 6:30 AM.
