Jefferson Montessori Academy (JMA) seeks candidates for seat No. 1 and No. 3 of its Council of Trustees.
The seats are up for election on Sept. 27.
The council is responsible for setting policies for the charter school and participating in its fiscal management, according to an announcement.
Cathy Baker, who currently holds seat No. 1, said the Council of Trustees manages and helps the school’s head administrator, Kelli Barta.
“We work with her to make sure that we’re fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars for the school,” Baker said. “We make sure that the budget is correct and we do checks and balance to make sure that the school is compliant with our mission and vision.”
Council members may also be required to travel and are asked to commit to attending trainings, meetings, work sessions and school events, according to the announcement.
The New Mexico Public Education Department required council members to attend eight to 10 hours of training annually.
Baker said anyone in the community that is eligible can run for the Council of Trustees even if they don’t have children that attend JMA.
“If we had people in the community who wanted to volunteer and put in a letter of intent and just a small biography, we would encourage anybody to join us,” Baker said.
The incumbent for seat No. 2 is Kim Morrow, JMA’s administrative assistant. Deanna Weston, the owner of local business PAGE Printing, is the incumbent for seat No. 3.
Interested candidates must submit a letter of intent by Sept. 20 at 3:30 p.m. to [email protected].
A forum will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 21 for teachers, parents and community members to ask questions and hear from the candidates. Baker said the council will decide whether to have the forum in person or online as the date approaches.
Candidates must be able to run for public office and are required to pass a background check.
For more information about qualifications and eligibility visit jmacarlsbad.com to view the Council By-Laws.
Claudia Silva is a reporter from the UNM Local Reporting Fellowship. She can be reached at [email protected], by phone at 575-628-5506 or on Twitter @thewatchpup.
