38002.com
theview
theview
Page 4
October/November 2013
Lakeland and Arlington, TN
School Board Elections
November 7, 2013
Meet Your School Board Candidates
By Terry Louderback
At The View 38002,
we believe that educating
the public on the election
and candidates helps
individuals
make
informed decisions. While
there certainly are many
issues that are not touched
upon in these questions,
we encourage our readers
to contact the candidates
for more information on
their
platforms
and
campaigns.
The Q&A Process
Last month, The View
38002 contacted the
candidates running for
school board in Arlington
and Lakeland.
Each
candidate from the same
municipality was sent the
same four questions and
instructions.
The
responses printed here are
unedited, except for
formatting that does not
change the content or
intent of the answer.
Candidates
pulling
petitions after the print
deadline will be given the
opportunity to participate
on theview38002.com
The responses are
grouped by position and
separated by municipality,
as that is the way that they
will appear on the ballot.
The School Boards
By law, Lakeland and
Arlington are required to
have separate school
boards and set their own
requirements for school
board
members and
amount of compensation.
Currently, the two
municipal governments
have
approved
an
Interlocal Agreement that
describes a cooperative
education program for
students who currently
attend school in one
municipality, but live in
the other. It is expected
that Lakeland will enter
into similar arrangements
with other school systems.
These agreements must
also be ratified by the
school boards.
Lakeland
residents
will be voting for five
school board members.
Board members do not
hold specific positions,
but the top five candidates
with the most votes will
be elected, with the first
three receiving four-year
terms and the next two,
two-year terms. In the
future, all terms will be
for four years.
In Arlington, voters
will
choose
from
candidates for school
board candidates running
for
five
numbered
positions. Only the top
vote-getter
in
each
position will be elected;
odd-numbered positions
will be for four years and
even numbered positions
will initially be for two
years.
Candidate Events
At
press
time,
Partnership Lakeland is
hosting an event for
Lakeland candidates on
October 15 at 6:30 pm at
the First Baptist Church
of Lakeland, 4500 Canada
Road. A forum for the
Arlington Candidates is
scheduled for 6:30 pm on
October 29 at Faith
Baptist Arlington, 5959
Airline
Road.
More
details will be announced
on theview38002.com
Voter Registration
The deadline for
Voter Registration for the
November 7 election will
be October 9. A list of
registration requirements
is
available
at
shelbyvote.com
Early Voting
Satellite early voting
will be held in Arlington
and
Lakeland
on
Saturday, November 2
from 8:00 am until 4:00
pm at Arlington United
Methodist Church, 6145
Quintard St., Arlington
and The Refuge Church,
9817 Huff N Puff Rd.,
Lakeland.
During early voting,
voters may go to any
location. However, on
Election Day, voters must
go to their neighborhood
precincts.
What Happens Next?
December 1, 2013 – School boards take
office; start process of hiring a superintendent
Spring 2014 – Municipal school boards
submit proposed budgets to Tennessee
Dept. of Education seeking approval to
begin the opening of schools for the 201415 school year.
August 2014 – Municipal schools begin