Many more school trustee nominations needed

Many more school trustee nominations needed

More people are still needed to stand for their local schools in the School Trustee Elections and there are just seven days left for people to get their nominations in.

Election project manager Janet Kelly says though people have begun putting their names forward, schools still need more people to stand for election.

“The sooner the better,” she says.

“It is helpful for schools if people get their nominations in as soon as possible so they have an idea of how many potential school trustees they have.”

Nominations for the seventh School Trustee Elections opened on 1 March and close on Thursday, 15 March at noon.

Janet says the slow trickle in the first week is the same pattern seen in previous elections.

“The process is on track but we would like to see more nominations coming through earlier.

“It’s wonderful to see hundreds of people putting their name forward around the country, however there isn’t long to go. I urge all people in the community who are considering standing for school trusteeship to stand now and make a difference for our schools.”

“We need people to have their nominations in by 15 March so parents can vote for the candidates on the common election day of 29 March,” she says.

More than 13,000 people are needed to fill positions on boards of trustees at 2,500 schools throughout the country.

“Schools need informed people with a range of skills and experiences to put their name forward,” says Janet Kelly.

“Trustees do not have to be parents nor have children at the school they stand for. What they do need is to have a commitment to children and education and the skills to ultimately help the school lift student achievement.”

Key dates: Call for nominations by 1 March, 2007 Nominations close noon, 15 March Polls close noon, 29 March Results declared 4 April

ENDS

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