The next Manteca Unified board member could come from Del Webb or Union Ranch in Manteca, north of Lathrop Road in Lathrop, French Camp or the northeast rural area of the district.

The  Manteca Unified board Tuesday will decide how they will go about addressing the vacancy created last month when embattled trustee Ashley Drain tendered her official resignation to the San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools.

District Attorney Toni Salazar Verber is prosecuting Drain for alleged voter fraud. The DA also filed charges against Drain for welfare fraud and grand theft from an unrelated investigation conducted by the county.

The board will be presented the same options for replacing Drain that they did for Alexander Bronson who resigned in May after he was charged with voter fraud.  

Manteca Police Detective Stephen Schluer ultimately was appointed by the board to replace Bronson

The board could also opt to call for a special election.

Both Drain and Bronson were elected in November. Because they weren’t even in office a year let alone more than half of their four-year terms, state law requires that whoever replaces them through appointment or a special election can only serve until the next general election.

Drain represented Area 2. It is the largest in the district and the only one to include parts of the school system’s three biggest communities — Manteca,  Lathrop, and Weston  Ranch. It includes all of French Camp and  the swath of rural area between the San Joaquin River and the district

 While most of her attention was focused on Weston Ranch High, only a small sliver of Area 2 is in Weston Ranch. It is a small area immediately west of Weston Ranch High. Area 2 goes east to the district’s eastern boundary roughly a mile east of Prescott Road along French Camp Road.

Area 2 also includes all of the City of Manteca north of Lathrop Road where Del Webb at Woodbridge and the Union Ranch neighborhoods are located.

The school board meets at 7 p.m. at the district office, 2271 W. Louise Ave., Manteca.