Candidates for the MCS Board of Education must be:

• at least 18 years old;

• qualified voters in the Margaretville Central School district;

• able to read and write;

• a resident of the district continuously for one year prior to the election in which they wish to run.

Candidates cannot be employed by the board on which they serve and cannot live within the same household with a family member who serves on the same school board.

The legal requirements for board members may be few, but qualifications for effective service are many. The most effective board members possess most or all of these attributes:

• Effective communicator: Can describe what he or she wants and describe what others want, has the ability to listen to all points of view, and honors confidentiality.

• Consensus builder: Capable of working toward decisions that all can support and willing to compromise to achieve that goal.

• Community participant: Enjoys meeting a variety of people, can identify the community's key communicators, and reaches out to the community.

• Decision maker: Knows his or her own as well as others' decision-making styles, can support group decision-making and keeps an open mind.

• Information processor: Can organize priorities and manage a lot of verbal and written information.

• Leader: Willing to take risks, be supportive of board colleagues, district staff, and the community.

• Team player: Helps promotes the board's vision and goals and remembers that he or she is one of five board members.

The board of education is a uniquely American institution. It keeps the country's public schools flexible and responsive to the needs of their local communities. A member of a board of education in New York State takes on one of the most important responsibilities that can be assigned to any citizen: helping to plan the education of the state's youth.

With students always their ultimate focus, board members act officially only at the board table, working with other board members to:

• Create a shared vision for the district;

• Consider the needs of all district students;

• Establish district goals and set priorities;

• Oversee the general operation of the district, setting directions for academic programs, public relations, facilities, and contracts;

• Establish the district's educational program;

• Adopt and maintain current policies in written format;

• Approve and adopt the annual district budget;

• Hire and evaluate the superintendent;

• Ratify collective bargaining agreements;

• Set high standards of governance;

• Maintain strong ethical standards;

• Maintain good community relations; and

• Lobby and collaborate with district, town, county, state, and federal organizations.

Regular updates and packets of information are sent to each board member and need to be reviewed before meetings. Meetings are held in the upstairs Board Room on the third Wednesday of every month. Exceptions to this meeting schedule are made to avoid conflicts with holidays and recesses. All meetings are open to the community.

Special meetings are scheduled as needed. During budget preparation from February to April, meetings are held monthly. The board also meets with the administrative team to discuss goals and topics of interest.

Board members are expected to serve on subcommittees. The board's subcommittees meet outside of the regular board meetings to discuss specific issues. Board members are also encouraged to attend district-wide events.

The board is interested in the viewpoints of staff and community members. A "privilege of the floor" is held at the start and end of each meeting to allow speakers to express their views.

Meetings follow a prepared agenda. The board conducts official action on agenda items and may also receive educational program/information reports.

The board also meets in executive session to discuss personnel matters, labor negotiations, and other matters that are of a confidential nature. Executive sessions are closed to the public; however, any formal action on any resolution is taken in open session.

Margaretville Central School board members are elected to serve a term of three years. Terms are staggered so that all board seats are never open at the same time. School board and budget elections are decided on the third Tuesday of May. Board members receive no compensation except the satisfaction that comes from rendering an indispensable public service.

Procedure for filing petitions for vacancies on a school board may vary depending on the type of school district. At Margaretville Central School, candidates must:

• Pick up nominating petitions from the board clerk in the district office;

• Have petitions signed by at least 25 qualified district voters;

• Make sure the petition includes the candidate's name and residence, the vacancy in question, the incumbent's name (if any), the residences of the persons who signed the petition, and the length of the term of office for which the candidate is being nominated; and

• File petitions with the clerk at least 30 days before the election between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

State law requires all candidates to file a sworn statement with the district clerk disclosing their campaign expenses. If expenditures made by the candidate of on his or her behalf exceed $500, a statement should be filed with the Commissioner of Election.

Expenditures of not more than $25 may be made without the candidate's permission if the donors file a sworn statement with the clerk and the commissioner stating that the candidate did not approve the expenditure.

A board member will be available to serve as a mentor to the newly elected board member. The district will have a half-day orientation session, which will enable the new board member to meet with the superintendent and other key district personnel.

It is also strongly recommended that the new board member attend the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) new school board member academy, which lasts a full day and is offered in the summer/fall.

The new board member will be required to attend fiscal responsibility training, which is a six-hour course mandated by New York State. It is most beneficial if taken before the first budget session begins. It is also available online.

The NYSSBA convention occurs in the fall and is three days of workshops and speakers promoting topics of interest for new and veteran board members. Additional workshops and speakers are available throughout the year.

For more information about the Margaretville Central School Board of Education, contact one of the following people:

• Superintendent of Schools

• Board Clerk

• Any current Board of Education members

Information about school board service is also available on the New York State School Boards Association website or by calling 518-783-0200.