Consider a run for school board

For all the focus on the presidential race, there’s another election this November that could have an even bigger impact on local taxpayers and local families.
We’re talking about the Jay School Board.
Three of seven seats are up for election this fall.
School board elections were moved to November several years ago in hopes that there would be greater voter turnout. That has happened, but sometimes the non-partisan school board contests get completely overshadowed by the noisier political dramas.
So what seats are up this year?
•District 1, the city of Portland, which is now held by Kristi Betts.
•District 4, Knox Township and Richland Township outside of Dunkirk, which is represented by Tammy Bennett, who was appointed to fill out the remainder of Mike Masters’ term after he resigned.
•District 6, Wabash, Noble, Madison, and Pike townships, which is now held by Greg Wellman.
In all three cases, there is a residency requirement, but candidates are elected at-large. In other words, a candidate has to live in the district he or she serves, but all Jay County voters get to cast ballots on all three races.
If that attracts your attention or you know someone who might make a good board member, the process of filing a candidacy is fairly simple.
There’s a petition form that can be picked up at the clerk’s office on the second floor of the courthouse. It’s pretty much self-explanatory, but the staff in the clerk’s office is always ready and willing to answer questions.
A candidate’s petition must bear the names of 10 registered voters who live in Jay County or the Shadyside neighborhood of Dunkirk that’s part of the school district.
The clerk’s office staff recommends getting more than 10 signatures, simply because mistakes can happen and it makes sense to have a bit of a cushion.
Filing opens on July 27 and ends on Aug. 26, so there’s plenty of time to ponder your own candidacy between now and then. And, after all, that’s more interesting than pondering the presidential race. — J.R.