Job description
School board members establish a shared vision for the schools that they represent which reflects a consensus of the board, community and district staff. The school board has a wide variety of additional responsibilities, such as adopting annual budgets and issuing interim financial reports, adopting the school calendar, negotiating contracts with employees (including the hiring of superintendents), approving curriculum materials and closing or constructing schools. The board is an extension of the state government and its members serve three-year terms without pay. The board of education holds a regularly scheduled monthly meeting, usually on the second Wednesday of each month. Meetings are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. but frequently are called to order earlier with an executive session.
Eligibility requirements
Candidate must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, qualified voters in the school district and able to read and write. They must be residents of their districts continuously for one year (as little as 30 days or as long as three years in some city school districts) before the election. At the time when the board member takes office, they cannot be employed by the board on which they serve or live in the same household with a family member who is also a member of the same school board.
Filing instructions
Filing office address: 960 Hastings St, Baldwin, NY 11510
Filing phone number: 516-434-6000
Paperwork instructions: Submit paperwork to the School Board District Clerk's office.
Filing requirements: No filing fee. Petition signature requirement of 25 qualified district voters or 2% of the number of those who voted in the previous annual election, whichever number is greater.