School Board Candidates In The Caldwells File Petitions: 2023 Election

CALDWELLS, NJ — Several candidates have filed to run in the upcoming school board elections in Caldwell, North Caldwell and West Caldwell, officials said Tuesday.

The 2023 general election will take place on Nov. 7 in New Jersey. Among other choices, voters in the Caldwells will get to cast ballots for members of their local board of education. The last day to file school board election petitions for the election was July 31.

According to the Essex County Clerk’s Office, here are the people who turned in petitions in the Caldwell-West Caldwell School District:

• Chris Elko
• Marisa Landolfi-Jefferson
• John King

Here are the people who turned in petitions in the North Caldwell School District:

• Sapna Patel Malige
• David Ved
• Maria Weyrauch

Some Essex County towns and cities have already held their 2023 school board election. Others hold their school board election during the general election in November.

Learn more about voting in Essex County and see key election dates here. Learn more about voting in New Jersey here.

SERVING ON A SCHOOL BOARD IN NJ: NOT AN EASY JOB

According to the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), to become a member of a local board of education in the state, applicants 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 before filing the nominating petition
• Have no interest in any contract with, or claim against, the board
• 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
• Not be disqualified from membership for the conviction of certain crimes. (Within 30 days of election or appointment to the board, a member must undergo a criminal history background investigation through the state Department of Education.)

People interested in serving on a school board should understand that their job is to help ensure their local schools are “well-run” – not to administer the schools themselves, according to the NJSBA.

School board members are non-partisan and unpaid. Their main responsibilities include:

“The board of education adopts policies under which the school district operates; oversees the budget; approves the curriculum; hires and evaluates the superintendent; represents the public during contract negotiations; and serves as a communications link between the community and the school system. School board members must remember that they have no authority except that which results from participation in decisions of the board during an official meeting. Actions, promises or commitments made by individual board members are without legal basis and have no binding commitment upon the district. Board members should be aware that they are elected to represent the entire district in all matters pertaining to education, and not any one segment.”

A survey by the National School Boards Association found that 63 percent of board members spend 11 to 50 hours a month on board duties – with some dedicating even more time to the position.

Watch a video about “Ten Things Every School Board Candidate Should Know Before Taking Office” here.

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