Saturday, July 26Who will step up for school board? (07/26/2008)

Where are the candidates for the Jay School Board?

Maybe they're confused by the fact that the school board election has moved from May to November on the calendar.

The shift was intended to boost voter participation, since turnout is traditionally higher for the general election than for primaries.

But with high-interest races at the national and state level, there's a good chance local contests are being overlooked.

That would be a shame.

Three seats on the Jay School Board will be on the ballot this fall:

•District 1, which is the city of Portland. Dr. Frank Vormohr currently holds that seat on the board.

•District 4, which is Knox and Richland Townships, outside the city limits of Dunkirk. Mike Masters currently holds that seat.

•District 6, which is Wabash, Noble, Madison, and Pike townships. Greg Wellman currently holds that seat.

Candidates for school board must reside in the district they hope to represent, though they are elected on an at-large basis.

That is, the entire county electorate gets to vote in each of the district races.

Anyone who has ever served on the school board or who has watched the school board closely over the years will tell you it's a big job.

The numbers involved are enormous; the school district's budget is the largest in local government, and it employs hundreds of people.

And the issues involved have a direct impact on the lives of thousands of local families and will shape the economic future of the county.

Our guess is there are plenty of worthy candidates out there. They just haven't focused on the job yet. The incumbents are probably still weighing whether they're ready to give it another four years in office.

But the clock is ticking.

Potential candidates must pick up a petition at the Jay County Clerk's office on the second floor of the courthouse and must gather the signatures of at least 10 registered voters. The deadline for filing is noon on Aug. 22. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]