By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster residents Linda Church, Melanie Shores, John Myrick, Adam Moseley and Ty Quarles will serve on the city’s first school board, after they were appointed to the board during a March 5 City Council meeting.

The appointments came after several weeks of interviews by council members and the City Council’s Education Committee. The five appointed school board members were chosen out of an original pool of more than 30 applicants.

School board members will serve staggered terms. Moseley’s term will end in June 2012, Quarles’ term will end in June 2013, Myrick’s term will end in June 2014, Shores’ term will end in June 2015 and Church’s term will end in June 2016.

The city is scheduled to have a swearing-in ceremony and reception for the school board at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 26 at the Alabaster Senior Center.

“Thank you so much to the school board members that we appointed tonight,” said Ward 1 Councilwoman Sophie Martin. “You really have the opportunity to change the face of this city. I can’t wait to see what’s in store.”

Moseley, who is the current Ward 3 councilman, said he will step down from the council during its March 19 meeting. Alabama law would prohibit Moseley from serving on both the City Council and the school board.

After Moseley’s council seat is declared vacant, the council will have 60 days to appoint his replacement. If the council does not appoint a new council member within 60 days, the decision will go to Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley.

“The March 19 meeting will be my last (council meeting),” Moseley said. “I am very excited about what we’ve got in front of us over the next two-and-a-half to three years.

“We want to make sure we have all the opportunities we as a community want for our children,” Moseley added.

Church is a former teacher with the Shelby County Board of Education, and Myrick is a retired teacher, principal, superintendent and school board member with the Saraland School System.

Quarles is the executive director of facilities administration at UAB, and said during his interview he has been involved with education and children’s programs for many years.

Shores is a professor at UAB and is involved in the PTO at her daughter’s school, Creek View Elementary.

Ward 6 Councilman Scott Brakefield said Alabaster’s split from the Shelby County School System likely will be complete on either July 1, 2013 or July 1, 2014.