On May 15, Fayetteville-Manlius voters will choose three district residents to serve on the F-M Board of Education from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021.
Residents must collect 56 signatures from qualified school district voters to be placed on the ballot. Petitions, which will be available March 1, must be filed by 5 p.m. April 16 in the district clerk’s office, 8199 E. Seneca Turnpike, Manlius. Contact District Clerk Sarah Gridley at 315-692-1200 for a nominating petition.
The F-M Board of Education is comprised of nine school district residents elected by voters. Each board member is elected to a three-year term. Board members are not financially compensated.
The board is the official policy-making body of the school district. It is responsible for carrying out the laws and regulations pertaining to the education of children living within the district. The board adopts district policy, curriculum, programs of study, and approves the hiring of all personnel, as well as establishing the conditions of employment. The board is also responsible for maintaining district facilities, establishing an annual budget and setting a tax levy.
To qualify for board membership, an individual:
- Must be able to read and write;
- Must be a qualified district voter;
- Must be, and have been, a district resident for at least one year prior to the election, but need not be a taxpayer;
- May be the only member of his/her household on the board;
- May not be an employee of the board;
- May not simultaneously hold another public office, which has been determined by law, court ruling, or Commissioner’s decision to be incompatible.
In addition to the nine members elected by district residents, the board also includes a non-voting student member who is selected annually by district administration. The student board member attends all public meetings but may not attend executive or exempt sessions, which are portions of the meeting in which the law allows board members to discuss privately matters such as proposed, pending or current litigation.