Residents who want to run for a seat on their local school board in the Nov. 3 election must file a nominating petition by 4 p.m. July 27.
Interested citizens can find information about the responsibilities of school board membership, qualifications for office, nominating petitions and candidacy timelines on the New Jersey School Boards Association website at www.njsba.org/candidacy.
“Local school boards have a direct impact on the education received by New Jersey’s schoolchildren,” NJSBA President Donald Webster Jr. said. “The board of education sets the goals and policies that represent the community’s aspirations for its public schools. The board selects the district’s superintendent and acts on his or her personnel recommendations. It negotiates collective bargaining agreements with teachers and other employees, and it makes critical decisions affecting curriculum, budgeting and facilities.
“Local school board membership is an unpaid and challenging public service, but it is also a rewarding public service that has a direct impact on the lives of our children and the quality of life in our communities,” he said.
Webster has served on the Manchester Township School District Board of Education in Ocean County for more than 17 years.
For their names to be placed on the Nov. 3 election ballot, citizens seeking school board office must file a nominating petition at the Office of the County Clerk by the 4 p.m. July 27 deadline. A nominating petition must be signed by at least 10 registered voters in the school district.
According to the NJSBA, 90 percent of the state’s school boards conduct their elections in November. The remaining school boards hold elections in April or are appointed. Citizens can verify whether their district conducts a November election by calling the local board of education office, according to the NJSBA.