newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-02-24/Front_Page/Five_seats_will_be_available_on_Freehold_school_bo.htmlFive seats will be available on Freehold school board
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
FREEHOLD — Five seats will be up for grabs on the nine-member Freehold Borough K-8 School District Board of Education in the April 20 school election.
Three three-year terms, one two-year term and one one-year term will be on the ballot.
Residents of the borough who meet the criteria to run for a seat on the school board have until 4 p.m. March 1 to file a nominating petition to seek one of the available terms.
The three-year terms that will be on the April 20 ballot are currently held by Annette Jordan, Audrey Evans and Dr. Eileen Mc- Gough.
A two-year unexpired term will also be on the April 20 ballot. Ron Reich is presently serving that term.
Reich was defeated in his bid for re-election to the board in April 2009. He was appointed to the board in July 2009 after board member Reginald Sims left his seat on the panel.
A one-year unexpired term will also be on the April 20 ballot. Daniel Xavier is presently serving that term.
Xavier was appointed to the board in October 2009 after board member Andrew De Fonzo left his seat on the panel.
The deadline to file a nominating petition to run for a seat on the board is 4 p.m. March 1, according to school district Business Administrator Patrick DeGeorge. A candidate may choose to run for any one of the available terms.
Prospective school board candidates may obtain a School Board Candidate Kit from DeGeorge at the Park Avenue Elementary School, 280 Park Avenue, Freehold Borough.
Published by the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), the School Board Candidate Kit includes a samplenominating petition and information about legal qualifications for school board candidacy and the role of the school board member.
Information about the New Jersey School Ethics Act, important dates in the school election process, and briefing sessions for school board candidates are also included in the kit.
To become a member of a local board of education in New Jersey, a person must:
• Be able to read and write.
• Hold U.S. citizenship and one year’s residency in the school district.
• Be registered to vote in the district as of Election Day.
• Have no interest in any contract with, or claim against, the Board of Education.
• Not hold office as mayor or member of the municipal governing body or, in the case of county school districts, the county governing body.
• Not simultaneously hold two elective offices.
“One of the most meaningful contributions a citizen can make to their community is serving on their local board of education,” said Harry J. Delgado, NJSBA president. “I encourage all interested citizens to consider school board membership. It doesn’t require a degree in education, or a background in politics. However, it does require a sincere interest in the community, its children, and their education.”
