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    Interested individuals seeking candidacy for the Board of Education of Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School may obtain a petition beginning Monday, March 11, 2024. Petitions can be obtained from the District Clerk's Office Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. For any inquiries, please feel free to contact (845) 446-9575 ext. 1300. The District Clerk's office is located at James I. O'Neill High School, situated at 21 Morgan Road, Highland Falls, NY 10928.

    Please be informed that the District Office hours on March 25th through March 28th and April 1st (Spring Break) will be from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm and the office will be closed on Friday, March 29th in observance of Good Friday.

    To qualify as a valid candidate, petitions must be endorsed by at least 25 eligible voters of the District. The deadline for submission to the District Clerk's office is at 5:00 PM on Monday, April 22, 2024. Prospective candidates must be residents of the Highland Falls - Fort Montgomery area.

    Click here for information about voter registration, absentee and early voting.

    Your journey begins!

    So, are you thinking about running for the school board? Let's begin with the basics. The locally elected board of education is a uniquely American institution. It oversees and manages the community’s public school system and ensures the public schools are responsive to the needs of the community.

    School boards are comprised of volunteers within the community who dedicate their time to better public education. Board members come from all walks of life, from lawyers to teachers, engineers to nurses. In New York State, with the exception of a few large city school districts, board members serve uncompensated. School board terms are most commonly three to five years. A typical tenure for a board member is between five and 10 years.

    To serve, you must be willing to commit to attending board meetings, which are usually held twice per month.

    		  

    New York State School Board Association (NYSSBA) Basic qualifications:

    • You must meet certain basic qualifications to run for school board in New York State. You must be:

      • A U.S. citizen
      • At least 18 years old
      • A qualified voter in the school district
      • Able to read and write
      • A resident of your district continuously for one year before the election. Exception: As little as 30 days or as long as three years in some city school districts.

      Running for School Board? Get all your information from NYSSBA here:https://www.nyssba.org/member-services/running-for-the-school-board/  

    For information about OCSBA's Prospective Board member Workshop, please see the flyer below.

    Prospective Board Member Workshop