School Board Election Petitions Due March 8

State officials are making a full-court press this week to remind residents of a fast-approaching deadline. Tuesday, March 8 is the deadline for residents to file nominating petitions for candidacy in the 2011 annual school board elections.

The New Jersey School Board Association is publicizing efforts to make the public aware of the nearly 1,500 school board seats available and recruit candidates for those seats. School board elections will be held on Wednesday, April 27.

The following openings have been reported by local school districts: 

In North Caldwell, two board of education spots are open: seats held by Aggie Doolen and Bob Kessler. Doolen has served two terms and is not seeking reelection. Kessler told Patch last week he was planning on running again.

In Caldwell-West Caldwell, the seat held by Board President Mary Davidson is open; Davidson said at a recent BOE meeting that she intends to seek re-election.

In West Essex, there are three positions open this year: Phyllis Helmstetter (Fairfield – 3 year term); Frank Antonucci (Fairfield – 3 year term); and Dawn Smith (Roseland – 3 year term). Smith was appointed Dec. 6, 2010, to replace . No petitions have been filed as of Tuesday, according to Board Secretary Donna Coco.

“In the big picture,” New Jersey School Board Association (NJSBA) Public Affair Officer Mike Yaple said, “serving on a school board can be challenging, but the rewards are enormous.”

Huge Time Commitment

Yaple admits serving on a school board takes a huge amount of commitment and that particular commitment is the biggest factor on why parents shy away from serving. Board members do not get paid for the job.

“(Meetings) are much more than one time a month,” he said, “and can be very demanding. But you get out what you put in.” Board members put in enough hours (to qualify) as a part-time job, Yaple said.

School board members don’t just sit up on a dais, he added. They’re actively involved in setting goals and the agenda and working with, and monitoring, the work of the superintendent.

Yaple said, “The job requires a time commitment and thick skin along with making and defending difficult positions. But the job also allows board members to shape the education of children.”

In New Jersey, there are 4,800 local board of education members — the largest group of elected officials in the state, according to NJSBA figures. These members are responsible for a variety of district-related decisions, affecting 2,400 public schools and 1.37 million children, including setting the policies under which school districts operate — decisions concerning curriculum, personnel, and the use of school buildings.

Extensive training provided  

Yaple said elected board members don’t go into the situation without state-mandated training. For example, he said, the state provides three training seminars, or as he called them “boot camps,” for newly elected members.

New and appointed board members learn the basics prior to serving on the board. For the second and third year of serving, he said, board members are required to attend additional training on labor negotiations, legal issues, etc. This prevents anyone from serving who has no experience in these areas, he said.

State law requires a school board member to be a registered voter who has lived in the district for at least one year. Board members must be able to read and write, and they cannot have a claim against or contract with the school district, according to the NJSBA.

For more information or questions about school board candidacy, residents should go to njsba.org/candidacy or call (609) 278-5202.

Ellen Coughlin contributed to this article.