SOUTH COUNTY: Time is short to decide on school board candidacy

Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell have a new regional school district, the creation of which was OK’d overwhelmingly by voters Sept. 24, 2013.
That day, voters approved the regionalization proposal that led to the formation of the new single district July 1, 2014.
This new district, under the leadership of Superintendent Louis Muenker, has the responsibility of educating students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in the three communities.
The new district also has a new school board to lead it. And those who would like to seek election to that board should act now.
The deadline for filing nominating petitions for school board candidacy in the Nov. 4 general election is Monday, July 28, at 4 p.m.
In December 2013, nine members of the new regional school board that serves Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell were appointed by Gerald Vernotica, Hunterdon County’s interim superintendent of schools.
Five of the members are from Lambertville, three from West Amwell and one from Stockton. That apportionment was "done statutorily," reflecting the populations of the towns, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, Dr. Vernotica said.
The five Lambertville members are Dan Seiter, Derek Roseman, Laurie Weinstein, Nicole Claus and Anne Nicolas.
The three West Amwell residents are Celeste Mosby, Victor Paerg and Peter Gasparro.
The one Stockton member is James Gallagher.
Now, three of the seats on this new nine-member board must be filled at the Nov. 4 election. These seats (three-year terms) are held by Lambertville’s Derek Roseman and Laurie Weinstein and West Amwell’s Viktor Paerg. If these members file by the July 28 deadline, their names would appear on Nov. 4 ballots.
At the December meeting, Dr. Vernotica said there were 18 applicants for the nine positions on the regional board. "It was a magnificent group of applicants," he said.
So, judging from last year’s interest in serving on the new board, other qualified residents of Lambertville and West Amwell might want to seek these open seats. If so, they, too, must file nominating petitions by 4 p.m. July 28.
State law requires all school board nominating petitions for the November election be delivered to the county clerk by 4 p.m. July 28, 2014 (even if the clerks’ operating hours extend past that time).
The Hunterdon County clerk’s office is at the Hall of Records, 71 Main St., Flemington. Days and business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Questions? Call 908-788-1214.
School board nominating petitions for the November election cannot be returned to the local school district office.
School board candidates must be American citizens; at least 18 years old; able to read and write; have been a resident for at least one year of the municipality he/she wants to represent on the board; and cannot be directly or indirectly interested in any contract with, or claim against the school board. These are legal requirements.
But there are other things — in our opinion and in that of the New Jersey School Boards Association — would-be candidates should consider.
School board members are volunteers. They also are state officials.
Unlike those elected to political office, school board members do not represent the townspeople who elect them. They derive whatever power they have from the state, which is responsible for public education.
Those who run for school board seats because they want to represent a specific community group or interest should "forget it," according to "Basic Boardsmanship," a publication of the NJSBA.
A school board member’s job is difficult and time-consuming. It involves dealing with innumerable pressures arising from the need to conserve costs in a state whose leaders continue to face mounting debt and a sluggish economy.
In facing such fiscal challenges, which always trickle down to the local level, school board members often must make hard choices that can adversely affect what some in their communities might see as essential offerings.
The job of school board member is for sincere volunteers, whose only remuneration will be the satisfaction of doing a job that should be done well.
We urge those who understand the role board members play and those who sincerely want to serve to come forth as candidates this year. Your communities need you!