Dozens of residents of the newly formed Livingston Manor-Roscoe Central School District attended a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 9, to learn more about the process of becoming a member of the new board.
On Dec. 19, when the residents of the Livingston Manor and Roscoe central school approved the merger of the two districts, they also determined that the new board would consist of seven members who would serve three-year terms.
Superintendent John Evans and Sullivan BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Robert Dufour presented information and answered questions during the 45 minute meeting, primarily focusing on the roles and responsibilities of the new board and how residents can run for election to that board.
To serve on the board, members must be able to read and write, be a qualified voter of the district and be a resident of the district for at least a year before the election.
Prospective board members must file petitions to run for the board. The petitions are available at the main office of Livingston Manor and Roscoe schools, as well as at the Sullivan BOCES office in Liberty. Petitions must include the signatures of at least 25 qualified voters of the district. A qualified voter is one who is 18 or older, a citizen of the United States, and has been a resident of the Livingston Manor-Roscoe Central School District for at least 30 days. Nominating petitions must be handed in by 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the main office of either school.
The positions of candidates' names on the ballot will be determined by a drawing at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, in the Livingston Manor school. If a candidate cannot be present for the drawing, the candidate may designate a qualified voter to draw as a proxy. If a candidate is not present and has not designated a proxy, the district superintendent will draw on behalf of the candidate. That process will be open to the public.
All candidates will be required to file expenditure statements via a form included with the petition paperwork.
The district plans to host meet-the-candidates events so members of the public can learn more about those who are hoping to serve on the board. Dates, times and locations will be advertised before the events.
Voting will take place between noon and 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Livingston Manor school. Absentee ballots will be available. The deadlines for those ballots will be communicated when available.
The seven candidates receiving the most votes will be elected. The successful candidates receiving the largest number of votes will serve the longest initial terms, with terms to run as follow to allow for future staggered election of members:
Top three vote getters will serve through June 30, 2028
The next two will serve through June 30, 2027
The last two will serve through June 30, 2026
After the initial three years, board members will serve full three-year terms starting the July 1 following their election.
The new district board members will begin their terms on Feb. 18, where they will be sworn in during the organizational meeting of the board. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and be held at Livingston Manor school.
“The time commitment and involvement for newly elected board members will be significant during this first year of organization,“ Evans said in his presentation. Some of the work to be done before July 1 includes deciding on an official school district name, school colors, mascot, building names, building use and configuration, officially appointing attorneys, architects, banks, newspaper, auditors, insurance providers, school officers and school staff and approving transportation contracts.
Dufour pointed out that settling on an official name should be the first priority, as almost all aspects of the new district’s operation require an official name. When asked if it could be changed later, he said yes it could, but it is much easier to do it at the start.
Because of the time commitment, Evans recommended that the board initially meet twice a month and form committees, chaired by a board member and including students, staff, families and community members, to work out many of these issues. Although he can make recommendations, Evans said, ultimately all decisions regarding the new district will be made by the new board.
Evans also said several times that all of the procedures, including the process and timeline, of setting up the new board are following state Education Department statute and law.
A recording of the meeting is available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wAWEBnQpsy6HVdA7oDgQ4IZYzPG1JTgV/view.
For more information about running for the board or the duties of board members, contact Evans at john.evans@lmcs.us, jevans@roscoe.k12.ny.us, 607-498-4126, ext. 6105, or 845-439-4400, ext. 1201; Dufour at 15 Sullivan Avenue, Suite 1W, Liberty, NY 12754 or 845-295-4000; or David Elliott, Office of Educational Management Services, State Education Department, Albany, New York, 12234 or 518-474-6541.