The Rochester school board will have two new members in January 2018.

Natalie Sheppard won a seat on the board during the November elections. She'll take over the seat held by Jose Cruz, who didn't run for another term.

The school board has also started its search for candidates to replace longtime member Malik Evans, who was elected to City Council in November. He's resigning effective December 31 and the board has 30 days after to pick his replacement. At that point, if the board members don't agree to who should fill Evans' seat, board President Van White can make the appointment.

Whoever the board picks will have to run in the 2018 general election in order to keep the seat for the rest of Evans' term, which runs through 2019.

Evans and Cruz will participate in discussions about the appointment because they are still serving on the board, White says. But neither of them can vote on the appointment when the board meets on January 2, 2018.

Sheppard, however, will vote on the appointment, since she'll be sworn in by that meeting.

The board is accepting applications for the appointment through Friday, December 8.