Residents have until July 30 to enter school board race

Time is running out for would-be candidates who want to serve on the Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education.

The deadline to file a nominating petition for one of four available seats on the board is 4 p.m. July 30. The nominating petitions, to be signed by 10 registered voters, must be turned in to the Mercer County Clerk’s Office in Trenton on that date.

The school board election is Nov. 6.

At stake are the seats being held by Dana Drake, Jo Ann Groeger, Joyce Scott and Kevin Van Hise, whose terms will expire at the end of the year.

Drake was appointed to the board in February 2017 to fill an unexpired three-year term. Groeger, Scott and Van Hise are serving three-year terms, and were elected in 2015.

Candidates for school board must be at least 18 years old, be able to read and write, and hold U.S. citizenship. They must have lived in the school district for at least one year and be registered to vote.

They may not have an interest in, or hold a claim against, the school board. They may not serve on the municipal governing body, and may not be disqualified from holding office because of conviction of certain crimes.

Nominating petitions are available for pickup at the school district’s business office, through the Mercer County Clerk’s Office, or online at the school district’s website at www.ltsp.org