Longtime Whitefish School Board Trustee Dave Fern has resigned his position with the board.

Fern this fall was elected to represent House District 5 in the Montana Legislature. He announced his resignation at the Dec. 13 school board meeting.

The school district is taking applications to fill the open seat on the board.

Fern, 63, has served as a school board trustee continuously since 1992, covering nearly eight terms and 24 years of service. He served as chairman of the board for four years, has served as president of the Montana School Boards Association, and has been on the board of directors for the Montana High School Association. Fern has lived in Whitefish since 1989. He and his wife Heather have three grown children who all graduated from Whitefish High School.

Applicants for the trustee position must be registered voters of the Whitefish School District, be at least 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen, and must have resided in the school district for at least 30 days.

After the person is appointed they will serve until the next school election in May 2017.

The selection process includes the completion of a brief application, an interview by the current trustees, followed by appointment and oath of office. Interviews are scheduled for the week of Jan. 16, 2017.

A special board meeting is scheduled to select the new trustee on Jan. 20. The County Superintendent will administer the oath of office and the appointed trustee will be seated at the regularly scheduled board meeting on Feb. 14.

Applications are available on the district’s website at www.whitefishschools.org or can be picked up at the district office, located at 600 East Second Street inside Whitefish Middle School. Completed applications must be received in the district office no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2017.

For additional information, contact Whitefish School District Clerk, Danelle Reisch, at 862-8640.