Lawrence Township residents have 10 days left to file a nominating petition to seek a seat on the Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education.
The deadline to file is July 29 at 4 p.m.
Nominating petitions, signed by 10 registered voters, must be turned in to the Mercer County Clerk’s Office in Trenton by that date.
The school board election is Nov. 5.
The terms of school board members Jon Dauber, Pepper Evans, Michelle King and Cathy LeCompte are expiring.
The term is for three years, except for LeCompte, who is filling out an unexpired term.
All four incumbent school board members have announced that they are seeking re-election.
Dauber, who is seeking his second term, said that if he is re-elected, he would be looking forward to continuing the work that has recently begun.
“I look forward to contributing as a school board member who brings to the table two decades of leadership experience in public education,” Dauber said.
Dauber is the principal at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North. He served as the assistant principal and then the principal at Lawrence High School, and as the principal of the Lawrence Intermediate School.
Evans said she is seeking a third term on the school board in part because she said that she “owes a debt of gratitude” to the school district for preparing her children for life after high school. One of her daughters is studying internationally and another daughter is embarking on a career after college graduation.
“I want to be engaged in that partnership for other students. Our town’s demographics are changing, as is the job market, and with the soaring cost of higher education, college may not be the right choice for some families,” she said.
“I want the Lawrence Township Public Schools to meet the needs of non-college bound students,” Evans said.
King said she is seeking a second term because she has found her ideas and interests in serving the Lawrence Township public school community to be aligned with the current district goals – and she would like to continue to move them forward.
LeCompte was appointed to fill a vacancy on the school board, caused by the resignation of former school board member Kelly Edelstein. She is running for the remainder of Edelstein’s term, which expires in January 2021.
“This first year was a great way for me to see how the board works and what the time commitment would be. I have very much enjoyed working with my fellow board members, the administration and Ross Kasun, the superintendent of schools,” LeCompte explained.
“It’s an exciting time for our district. There are many great things that are happening, but there is still work to be done. I want to be a part of it and help in any way I can,” LeCompte said.
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.
Candidates may not have an interest in any contract or hold a claim against the school board.
Candidates may not serve on the municipal governing body, and may not be disqualified from holding office because of conviction of certain crimes.
Nominating petitions and additional information are available on the New Jersey School Boards Association’s website at www.njsba.org.
