I have been blogging for over a year now, and with one exception, I have not ostensibly addressed specific issues before the School Board; a policy I plan to continue for many reasons. But I do want to use this page for what I consider to be a public service announcement related to the political process in general and the School Board in particular.
In April of next year this community will elect three people to the position of School Board member. The Seat currently held by Patrick Murphy is up for election, and Patrick has announced his intention to seek another term. His seat is an At-Large position, which means anyone who is eighteen years of age and living within the confines of the School DIstrict of Elmbrook can seek this office.
The Seat that I hold is also to be decided. It is an Area Seat, which means that you must live within a certain quadrant of the District to seek it. Generally speaking, it is the southwest portion of the District, and like Patrick, I have decided to seek this office again.
After eight years of service, Cheri Sylla has announced that she will not seek re-election. Cheri also holds an Area seat that represents the northeast portion of the District.
Anyone interested in running must act NOW. Even though the election is not until April, there is a lot of protocol required to be eligible. Papers must be filed and signatures must be gathered to declare and establish candidacy. These rules are driven by State Statute, and not by any requirements of the School Board. All filings are due at the District Office by January 3, 2008 in order to be a candidate, so time is of the essence.
Anyone considering this can contact a current or former Board Member to discuss what is entailed with Board service - see the District's web site at elmbrookschools.org and click on the Board of Education tab to get contact information of current members. Questions regarding the protocol and requirements of filing for candidacy, or the boundaries of the two Area seats, can be directed to Ms. Pat Felde (Fell-Dee) of the District Office at 262-781-3030. Pat is knowledgeable and friendly, and can answer any questions you have about this matter.
Lastly, after eight years of service (and five more months to come), I want to acknowledge and thank Cheri Sylla. To those who take Board Service seriously, and Cheri does, eight years is an enormous sacrifice. Cheri has dedicated thousands of hours of work, attended hundreds of meetings, read countless reports, and most of all, put herself "out there" to take whatever comes. Perhaps greatest of all is the opportunity cost - the things she didn't get to do because of her Board service.
I like to think that we live in a community where, regardless of one's position on this issue or that, people can appreciate and respect that.
