It has long been that many organizations and Political Action Committees have screened candidates for municipal office but not for school board races. This vetting process is a critical public accountability mechanism and through this campaign, we will urge all organizations and Political Action Committees that screen or endorse for municipal office to do so for school board candidates as well. This higher level of accountability will promote civility, increase financial stewardship and create more community ownership in the affairs of our district. IF YOU SCREEN AND/OR ENDORSE FOR MUNICIPAL RACES, YOU HAVE A CIVIC DUTY TO SCREEN AND/OR ENDORSE FOR SCHOOL BOARD RACES AS WELL.

Just as competition for leadership benefits constituents in other races, so too does it benefit students in school board races. Every school board race should be contested regardless of the performance of the incumbent. The public process of running for office contributes to an atmosphere of accountability and transparency. Despite this principle, of the nine school board seats available in the past two election cycles, only one has had a filed contestant -- this one. One of nine. To increase the pool of eligible and prepared candidates, we will work in partnership with our political leaders and institutions to actively create opportunities for residents to participate in school district decision-making by strengthening the SAC/DAC model and through the paneling of taskforces to investigate specific issues.