Special Board Election: December 2024
John Robert Coleman was elected to the South Orangetown Central School District Board of Education in a special election on December 17, 2024. Coleman was elected to fill a seat vacated due to resignation and will serve the duration of the unexpired term, which ends June 30, 2027.
Communications Regarding the Board Vacancy
(sent via ParentSquare)
December 11, 2024: The period to submit nominating petitions for the December 17 Board of Education Special Election ended at 5:00PM last evening. No additional candidates submitted petitions; therefore, John Robert Coleman will be the sole candidate on the ballot. Candidate information is posted here.
Please vote on Tuesday, December 17, 7:00AM-9:00PM. Detailed information, including polling locations, is posted on the Special Election webpage.
December 4, 2024: On December 2, Thomas Martin notified the District Clerk of his withdrawal from the December 17, 2024 Board of Education Special Election. John Robert Coleman remains a candidate for the vacancy.
At a special meeting on December 4, the Board of Education decided to proceed with the Special Election as scheduled.
- Due to the timing of Martin’s withdrawal, the period for submitting nominating petitions must be reopened.
- Nominating petitions are available starting today from the District Clerk’s office at 160 Van Wyck Road, Blauvelt.
- Candidates must submit petitions with a minimum of 45 signatures by Tuesday, December 10 at 5:00PM. Eligibility requirements and Board responsibilities are posted on the Information for Prospective Candidates webpage.
Voting information is posted here.
October 23, 2024: At a special meeting last evening, the Board of Education adopted a resolution to hold a special election on Tuesday, December 17 from 7:00AM-9:00PM for one Board seat vacated due to resignation for the duration of the unexpired term, which ends June 30, 2027.
Nominating petitions will be available starting Thursday, October 24, from the District Clerk’s office at 160 Van Wyck Road, Blauvelt. Candidates must submit petitions with a minimum of 45 signatures by Monday, November 18 at 5:00PM. Eligibility requirements and Board responsibilities are posted on the Information for Prospective Candidates webpage.
Voter information is posted on the Special Election webpage and will be mailed to all South Orangetown residents in early December.
The Board of Education appreciates the thoughtful feedback community members provided over the past few weeks. Please mark your calendars for December 17 and be sure to vote.
October 16, 2024: The Board of Education has extended the deadline for community input regarding its options to fill the current Board vacancy–appointment or special election–until this Friday, October 18 at 5PM. South Orangetown residents are invited to share their thoughts via the feedback@socsd.org email address.
The Board will announce how it will proceed with filling the vacancy at a special meeting on Tuesday, October 22, at 7:30PM in the South Orangetown Middle School Library.
October 6, 2024: The Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, October 8 at 6:00PM in the South Orangetown Middle School Auditorium.
At its October 1 meeting, the Board briefly discussed its options for filling the recently vacated seat. According to New York State Education Law, the Board has two options to fill a vacancy: appointment or special election.
Appointment:
- The Board would appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy at a public meeting
- The length of term would be until the next annual election, May 20, 2025
Special Election:
- A special election would require legal notices, nominating petitions and voting machine procurement for a public vote and would cost approximately $20,000
- The person elected would serve through the duration of the unexpired term, June 30, 2027
The purpose of the October 8 special meeting is to provide the community with an opportunity to share their thoughts regarding these options with the Board. Those unable to attend the special meeting may submit their feedback to the Board via the feedback@socsd.org email address until Wednesday, October 16 at 5:00PM.
It is anticipated that the Board will announce its decision on how it will proceed with filling the vacancy at a special meeting on Tuesday, October 22.
September 25, 2024: The Board of Education and Superintendent were notified by Dawn Kitz earlier today that she has resigned, effective immediately, from the South Orangetown Central School District Board of Education.
The Board has the option of filling the vacancy by appointment or holding a special election within 90 days of the resignation.
- If the Board chooses to appoint, it will seek interest from the community to fill the vacant seat until the next annual election, May 20, 2025.
- If the Board chooses to hold a special election, it will require nominating petitions and a vote, and the individual elected will hold office through the end of the term, June 30, 2027.
The Board will discuss how to proceed with filling the vacant seat during its October 1 meeting.