OCEAN CITY – The Board of Education was unable to conduct business at its Sept. 18 meeting for lack of a quorum, but board President Kevin Barnes did allow certain information-sharing activities at the meeting, with the understanding that the board members present could not take any official action on issues.

Barnes did announce that the board was moving ahead to fill a vacancy created when Dr. Charles Roche III resigned over the summer. He said the vacancy had been advertised and there are five candidates. He added that the five individuals would be interviewed and a decision on the vacancy made at the Oct. 16 board meeting.

Roche took a seat on the board as an appointed member to fill an unexpired term in 2021. He failed to hold the seat in the 2022 elections but was returned to the board when he ran as one of three candidates who were unopposed in 2024.

The board has nine members elected by Ocean City voters and three non-voting representatives appointed by the Upper Township Board of Education. The appointment to the seat that had been occupied by Roche will be for one year. A full three-year membership for the seat will be decided by voters in the November 2026 general election.

The board is filling the vacancy just weeks before voters decide on three full-term seats from among six candidates on the ballot.

The Oct. 16 board meeting has an early start time listed on the board’s website as 5:45, with an executive session scheduled for 5:30. The meeting will be held in its usual location in the library/media center at Ocean City High School.

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.