Nominations are being accepted through the end of the month for open seats on the state’s 362 local public school boards.
Megan Hawkins, spokeswoman for the Iowa Association of School Boards, says they hope people who are passionate about the education system will step up and want to serve their community.
She says they want to have quality candidates who care about children and the future. Hawkins says serving on a school board is a "challenging job" which requires "leadership and vision and dedication…they’re really the link between the community and the school."
Hawkins says being on a school board can be a rewarding experience, despite not being paid. She says board members can really see the results of their work when they’re working on policies for the classroom and student achievement.
Hawkins says school board members will be dealing with a number of issues impacting education today, like implementing the Iowa Core Curriculum "to set higher standards and get more rigor into the classroom."
Interested candidates can go to their local school board secretary or to the internet to get their proper papers.Visit the Iowa Association of School Boards website at www.ia-sb.org to download the nomination papers. You’ll need to get a certain number of signatures and turn in the forms soon, as the nomination period ends July 30.
School board elections statewide will be held this year on September 8.