VERNON TOWNSHIP — Crawford Central School Board will soon have a new member — at least until Dec. 6.

Kevin Maziarz, one of three applicants who interviewed for the position vacated with the June resignation of Christine Lazusky, was selected by a narrow margin during the board’s monthly meeting Monday night.

After a swearing-in ceremony to be held before the board’s Aug. 24 monthly meeting, Maziarz will fill Lazusky’s former seat until after the November election, when a replacement will be selected to complete the term, which expires in December 2011.

Nine members serve on each of Pennsylvania’s 500 school boards. During the upcoming election, four seats would ordinarily be filled. However, because of Lazusky’s resignation, Crawford Central has four four-year terms and one two-year term to fill. The only Crawford Central candidate whose name will appear on the

November ballot is incumbent David Miller, who won a slot on the Demo-cratic ticket during the May primary.

Throughout the interview process, board members stressed that they would like to see the entire lineup of candidates, which also included retired teachers Richard Curry and Jeff Deardorff, take seats on the board.

During the July 20 interview session, Maziarz and Deardorff both indicated they will be running write-in campaigns for seats on the board during the upcoming November election. Although Curry said he was seriously considering the possibility, he wasn’t quite ready to commit.

A minimum of five votes is required to replace a school board member, regardless of the number of members present. Of the eight members in attendance, John Christie-Searles, Stuart Rothman, Frank Schreck, Jan VanTuil and Ross Prather joined forces to give Maziarz the nod.

Maziarz thanked the entire board for his selection.

During his interview for the position, Maziarz said he had been interested in running for the board for three to four years. After noting that his father, Ronald Maziarz, had served on the board for “years and years,” the son went on to explain that his own father thinks he’s crazy for seeking a seat of his own.

That, however, wasn’t the hard part for this first-time candidate. “Two of my favorite teachers in the world are out there,” he said, pointing in the direction of Curry and Deardorff as they waited in the hallway for their interviews to begin.

A Meadville native, Maziarz is the father of two school-aged children and owns a business in the district.

“I’m impressed with what’s going on in the district, but there are things I can contribute to make sure the school system stays on the right track,” he said during the interview.