FARMINGDALE — Two three-year terms and one two-year term will be available on the Farmingdale K-8 School District Board of Education in the annual school election on Nov. 5.
Candidate packets, which include a nominating petition, may be obtained by visiting the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) website at njsba.org/ candidacy.
The Farmingdale school board seats currently held by Bonnie Wright, Eric Daniels and Gary Maser will be on the ballot.
Nominating petitions must be delivered to the county clerk of elections before 4 p.m. June 4.
According to the NJSBA website, the criteria to become a school board member is the following: The candidate must be able to read and write; must hold U.S. citizenship and one year’s residency in the school district; must be registered to vote in the district before filing the nominating petition; must have no interest in any contract with, or claim against, the board; must not hold office as mayor or member of the municipal governing body or, in the case of county school districts, the county governing body; must not simultaneously hold two elective offices; must not be disqualified from membership for the conviction of certain crimes.
Each candidate for election, including incumbents, must be nominated directly by petition, signed by at least 10 people — one of whom may be the candidate, according to the NJSBA.
The NJSBA website states that “a school board member must understand that his or her responsibility is not to administer the schools, but to work with the board to see that the schools are well-run; understand that education today is extremely complex; and listen to opposing views and be able to defend the board’s philosophy and goals; be willing to invest the hours necessary to meet responsibilities; serve out of a sincere desire to benefit the community rather than for personal glory or to carry out personal objectives; bear in mind that, as a state official, [the board member has] a responsibility to all the children in the state, not only to those in the local district.”
For more information, contact the NJSBA at 609-695-7600, or the Monmouth County office at 732-431-7810.
A candidate packet may be obtained at the Clerk of Elections Office, 300 Halls Mill Road, Freehold Township, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.