FLORENCE — School board members could temporarily delay filling a vacancy on the board, board President Bill Jordan said Wednesday.

School members said earlier they would determine who will replace District 6 representative Jim Fisher next week. That could be changed, though.

Fisher resigned last week in the aftermath of posting education-related views on his Facebook page. The comments angered some employees in the Florence school system, particularly teachers.

Board members approved Fisher’s resignation Tuesday, and Jordan read a statement outlining the board’s plan for filling the seat.

He said letters of interest will be accepted from potential candidates for the job through 4 p.m. Monday. He added a meeting would be held at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 24 to select the new board member.

But Jordan said Wednesday he is considering other factors, and the board could postpone the selection.

The board’s veteran board member Tom Wissert and Maleah Chaney are no longer on the board after Nov. 13, so they would be involved in selecting a board member with whom they would not be working in the new term.

“I can’t say we’ll have a decision for sure on Wednesday or if this present board should be making that decision,” Jordan said. “We were trying not to drag this out; we want to act quickly.

“It’s a valid point that two of our current board members won’t be working with the new board member. We’ve not really had a chance to digest all this and we could decide to wait on filling the position.”

The board has 45 days to appoint a replacement or the decision goes to state Superintendent Tommy Bice.

Jordan said board members won’t rush into a decision, but the current board will make the appointment if the right fit comes up.

“We’re within our legal rights to do so,” he said.

Wissert has served on the Florence school board for 11 years. He said he’s gained good perspective on what makes for a good board member. Wissert opted not to seek re-election on the school board and instead ran for a City Council seat.

“We (Wissert and Chaney) have a better feel for choosing who needs to be on that board, the type person and the type personality,” Wissert said. “There’s a certain temperament that’s needed for a school board. You certainly have to be able to take criticism, because that’s going to happen.”

Jordan said a timetable has not been set on when the appointment will be made.

Lisa Singleton-Rickman can be reached at 256-740-5735 or lisa.singleton-rickman@TimesDaily.com.