From prospective new faces to seasoned incumbents, candidates can now begin filing paperwork to run for school board seats in public schools throughout the East End and New York State.
Candidate packets, including petitions that must be signed by at least 25 registered voters within the candidate's school district, must be filed by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 22, with their respective district clerks. The election is on May 21 along with the school budget vote.
Candidates should be at least 18 years old, should be able to read and write, a continuous resident of the district for at least 30 days, and should be a United States citizen eligible to vote within that school district. They may not be an employee of the school district or married to or live in the same household as another member of the same board. The New York State School Boards Association recommends that a candidate should also be an "effective communicator," "consensus builder," and "team player." The association describes the responsibilities of a board member in detail here.
The candidate packets are available for pickup with each district's respective clerk.