HAYWARD — Twenty-six people are in the running for a vacant seat on the Hayward school board.

Luis Reynoso captured the seat during last November’s election. But during the same election, he also won a seat on the board of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District.

State law says he cannot hold both seats because the district boundaries overlap and present a conflict of interest for someone who represents both, according to attorneys representing the Hayward district.

Earlier this month, Hayward trustees said Reynoso had forfeited his seat because he would not resign from one of the positions, and the school board voted to declare it vacant.

The Hayward Unified board will begin vetting candidates seeking to replace him during a special meeting on Feb. 3.

In all, 29 people applied for the spot before the Jan. 25 deadline, Superintendent Matt Wayne told trustees on Wednesday.

One person was disqualified because the name printed on the application was not the same as their signature, while district officials recommended two others not go forward because their paperwork was not fully completed, Wayne said.

During the Feb. 3 meeting, each of the remaining 22 will have five minutes to make a pitch as to why they are the best candidate and want to serve. There also will be 20 minutes of public comment.

Trustees will select their favorite eight candidates, and anyone who was picked by at least three board members will move on to a second round of interviews Feb. 5, when trustees will decide who should get the seat.

“This is an important decision,” Wayne said. “But we hope to have a decision prior to getting into, really, that planning season for 2021-22 school year.”

Trustees opted to appoint a replacement rather than hold a special election, which would cost the district $1 million, money that could be spent to help students and for other services, they noted.

Reynoso was sworn in as a Hayward trustee Dec. 14 and the next day as a trustee with the college district. State law says that if someone is sworn in to a second seat, the individual forfeits the first seat, which prompted the unanimous action by Hayward trustees.

Reynoso was first elected to the Hayward board in 2008.

In the community college district election, Reynoso captured about 56 percent of the vote, beating Robert Carlson, who secured about 43 percent of ballots cast.

Reynoso, who came in third in the Hayward school district election to fill three seats, was trailed by Maria Del Carmen Espinoza by less than 200 votes. Espinoza is among those applying for his seat, as well as Eufemia Meynard, who got about 12 percent of the vote in November.

“Although all of the applicants have my complete, 110% support, I just think that as a person who did campaign and did all this grassroots, why didn’t (the others) campaign to be in that seat so bad?” Espinoza told trustees.

Reynoso received about 14 percent of the vote in the Hayward school board contest. The leading vote-getters were newcomers Sara Prada and Simon Peter Gutierrez Bufete. Eight people ran.

People can comment on the applicants via email at madeinhayward@husd.us.

The candidates and their applications can be viewed at https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36030212&MID=5232.