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New Roscoe-Manor school board election set for February 13

Petitions to run for board due January 23

Derek Kirk
Posted 1/14/25

ROCKLAND — With the new, unofficially named “Livingston Manor-Roscoe Central School District” being voted into existence last month, the next step is to elect a seven-member school …

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New Roscoe-Manor school board election set for February 13

Petitions to run for board due January 23

Posted

ROCKLAND — With the new, unofficially named “Livingston Manor-Roscoe Central School District” being voted into existence last month, the next step is to elect a seven-member school board. This board will be the ultimate decider for many choices, including the official district name, school colors and mascot, and more.

Superintendent of both districts, John Evans, was joined by Sullivan BOCES Superintendent Dr. Robert Dufour on Thursday in addressing dozens of parents and residents of the new district on how the next few steps will go.

Petitions for school board member candidates are due by 5 p.m. on January 23, the positions of which on the ballot then will be determined by a drawing at 7 p.m. that day. These petitions are available at the main office of Livingston Manor and Roscoe schools, as well as at the Sullivan BOCES office in Liberty.

The school board election will be held on Thursday, February 13 from noon until 8 p.m. at the Livingston Manor school.

The new district board members will begin their terms on Tuesday, February 18 at 6 p.m., where they will be sworn in during the organizational meeting of the board at Livingston Manor school.

The 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.

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. In addition, the district is looking to host “Meet-the-Candidate” events to give residents a chance to speak with candidates.

The new board will consist of seven elected members who would serve a three-year term. Those seven receiving the most votes will be elected, with those receiving the largest number of votes serving the longest initial terms:

– The 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 beginning on the first of July following their election. 

A loaded plate for 

the upcoming board

While the Superintendent has no authority over the new board’s actions and decisions, Evans noted his intent on suggesting his thoughts and opinions to those elected that the board initially meet twice a month and form committees, chaired by a board member and including students, staff, families and community members, due to the sheer workload that must be done before the start of the new school year.

In addition to the district name, the other decisions on the plate of the yet-to-be-elected school board includes building names, building use and configuration, officially appointing attorneys, architects, banks, newspaper, auditors, insurance providers, school officers and school staff and approving transportation contracts.

In answering resident’s questions regarding the entire process, Evans continuously confirmed that the procedure is mandated to follow the New York State Department of Education’s statute and law.

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; or 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.

 

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