The Montezuma County League of Women Voters will host a forum on how members of the community can apply to become members of the various school boards in the area.
It’s Thursday, May 11, at the Cortez Public Library from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
“It’s open to anybody in the county,” said League of Women Voters member Judy Schuenemeyer. “There are a number of seats that are up in the three districts this year, so it’s timely to do this. What we wanted to do was let people know if they want to run, what’s the process?”
Schuenemeyer said they hope the forum will allow people to understand the steps it takes to run for the school board, as well as what responsibilities they will face if elected to the board.
“They have to do their homework, come to meetings, read what they're given, that kind of thing. They’ll have to read financial reports, ask questions and not be afraid to ask questions. They have to know that they're one vote on the board and the vote counts the same. They shouldn’t feel intimidated. So, it's that kind of thing. Also, as board members their time should be respected. They're all volunteers,” she said.
While they will be talking about school boards at the forum, Schuenemeyer noted that they will not discuss current school boards and any frustration that may be going on with those at this time, as this meeting is purely informational.
The League of Women Voters also will teach attendees about the laws that apply to school boards and board members.
“It’s sort of the nuts and bolts of what it any kind of a board member, but also in the case of public board members. They need to be aware of the laws that apply specifically to what they're doing and also know about records law and the open meeting law in Colorado. We’re not going to go into detail, we just want to make sure they know that if they become a school board member, they're obligated to follow (those laws),” Schuenemeyer said.
