There’s an open seat on the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education.

Longtime member Laura Capps recently stepped down after she was elected to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

The application process opened Thursday and will end at 5 p.m. Dec. 16.

Late applications will not be considered. Interested applicants must complete and submit a Candidate Application Form and reside in the attendance boundaries of the Santa Barbara Unified School District.

According to a news release, qualified candidates will be interviewed at a school board meeting open to the public on Thursday, Jan. 5 and/or Thursday, Jan. 12. The school board will deliberate and make an appointment at one of those two meetings.

The provisional appointee will complete their at-large term by November 2024. In November 2024, the appointed trustee must live in Trustee Area 2 to run for re-election, but does not have to live in the district to seek the appointment for the next two years.

One person who already has stated that they are seeking the appointment is attorney, creator and mental health advocate Julian Sarafian.

“I want to make a difference in the lives of children and families in Santa Barbara,” Sarafian said. “As a product of California public schools, I know how important a quality education is in setting young people up for a brighter future.”

Sarafian volunteered on the campaign of new Goleta school board member Emily Zacararias. 

Sarafina graduated from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School, and now owns his own law firm.