Politics & Government

Leiz Picks Up First BOE Candidate Petition

Petitions to run for Board of Education due on March 1.

Board of Education President Ginny Leiz has picked up the first petition in town to seek a seat on the school board.

Board of Education Secretary Robert Berman has announced that candidates for the board can pick up the petitions and full candidate kits at the board's Elm Street offices. The petitions are due on March 1 at 4 p.m. to Berman. The school board election is on April 20.

Three seats on the board are up for election this year. In addition to Leiz, Board Vice President Julia Walker and board member Richard Solomon are up for reelection this year. Seats on the board are unpaid and serve three year terms.

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Leiz and Solomon are completing their third terms on the board, while Walker is completing her second full term. Walker also served a one year unexpired term on the board. Leiz has been the board's president for three years. Solomon and Walker have not made announcements regarding their intentions for this year's election.

Leiz' picking up a petition does not indicate final plans on the incumbent's part on running for a fourth term.

Find out what's happening in Westfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I have not made an announcement," she said.

In addition to the petition, the candidate kit also contains legal information on serving on a school board, procedures for campaigning and the role of a board member. Information is also provided on the state's ethics law for board members and dates for seminars for potential board members.

School board races in Westfield have been quiet affairs most years. Last year's election featured five candidates for three seats. The 2009 election was more visible than some of the Town Council races later that year, with candidates blanketing neighborhoods near Washington School with lawn signs. The redistricting of some Washington students from Roosevelt Intermediate School to Edison Intermediate School played a role in the more active 2009 election.

Unlike Town Council races, where candidates run for ward based seats representing a quarter of the town, all members of the Board of Education are elected at-large.

 


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