By Ruth Luse, Managing Editor
Only three seats (all three-year terms) on the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education will be filled April 21.
Those elected that day will make up 33 percent of the nine-member board. No matter how one looks at that percentage, the seats are important to the future operation of our school district. Those who hold them help to oversee the Valley’s largest budget and the manner in which education in Hopewell Valley is delivered to our young people.
The deadline for filing nominating petitions is just days away: March 2 at 4 p.m.
Hopewell Township voters will fill two seats — held now by Jeffrey Bartolino and Leigh Ann Peterson, who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Linda Mitchell. Hopewell Township has seven seats on the board.
Pennington voters will fill their only seat — held now by Daniel O’Connor, who was appointed to take the place of Kevin Doran, who resigned last year.
An individual interested in filing should obtain a nominating petition from the school board office at 425 S. Main St., Pennington. A candidate must get the signatures of at least 10 qualified voters living within Hopewell Township or Pennington Borough (whichever applies). One of the signatures may be the would-be candidate’s own.
An individual interested in filing: must be an American citizen; must be at least 18 years old; must be able to read and write; must have been a resident for at least one year of the municipality he/she wants to represent on the board; cannot be directly or indirectly interested in any contract with, or claim against, the school board; and cannot be disqualified as a voter under state law. These are the legal requirements.
But, there are other qualifications — in our opinion and in that of the New Jersey School Boards Association —would-be candidates should consider. A board member’s job is not to administer the schools, but to work with other members to see that schools are well run. The board member also should be able to listen to opposing views and be able to defend the board’s philosophy and goals. A board member should be able to invest the time necessary to meet his/her responsibilities. A board member should be motivated, not by a need for personal glory or to carry out personal objectives, but by a sincere desire to benefit the community.
A school board member is a state official and has just one constituency — the children of New Jersey.
Unlike those elected to political office, school board members do not represent the townspeople who elect them.
By late Monday afternoon, we’ll know who has decided to take up the challenge of board candidacy, and, possibly, of future board membership.

