The names are out, soon the polls will be open, and voters will go out and show who their support falls behind. But this time it isn’t a national event. In fact, only the voters in the Francis Howell School district get to vote for it.
You guessed it right. It’s the Board of Education elections, and they are coming up faster than most realize.

In the end, the Board may be left without their President or Vice President. Maybe they will only have one. Or maybe, they will both be re-elected, and not too much will change… this year.

“The Board has been doing a wonderful job forwarding the district,” Superintendent Renee Schuster said. “No matter who is elected, or what changes are made, everything decided will be for the good of the district.”

Every three years, each of the Board members are up for re-election. This gives voters the chance to either invite them back to serve for three more years, or give someone new a chance to take their places. This year the two up for re-election are the current Board President Mark Lafata and Board Vice President Bill Spencer, and they both have many other candidates eager for their spots.

“While there hasn’t been much talk of who is favored to win, I have heard a great deal about the election itself,” Schuster said. “That is a great sign. We hope to have a large turnout this year.”

On March 3, members of the district were able to go and meet all of the candidates, excluding Lafata and Spencer. Those in attendence were able to speak with the other candidates and ask questions..

“I just want to give back,” TK Jones, one of the Board candidates said. “I think that to be a part of a community, you need to give back to it.”

Elections will be held on April 8. Only then will the Board know if they will have their President, Vice President, or if they have some new faces to fill those empty chairs for the next three years.