A SHIPPENSBURG AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2021 ELECTION PRIMER*
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| Shippensburg Area Intermediate School. I like this building. |
The SASD Board of Directors is comprised of nine members, each serving a four-year term.
The geographical area of the School District is divided into three parts—confusingly also called “districts”—each of which elects three school directors. These districts have been given the rather bland official names “District A,” “District B,” and “District C.”
District A is comprised of that area within SASD that is in Cumberland County, except the Borough of Shippensburg**.
District B is comprised of that area within SASD that is in Franklin County, _including_ the Franklin County portion of the Borough of Shippensburg.
District C is comprised of that area within SASD that is in the Cumberland County portion of the Borough of Shippensburg.
School directors are elected for four-year terms. However, terms overlaps such that every two years either four or five seats are up for re-election***.
On Tuesday, November 2, 2021, registered voters within SASD will elect candidates to fill four seats on the Board.
In District A, voters will fill one seat. Michael Lyman, the incumbent, secured the Democratic nomination in the primary earlier this year. Steph Eberly, running as a Republican, is the challenger.
In District B, one seat is open. The seat that is presently occupied by Erica Burg has no official ballot candidate. Erica, the incumbent, has chosen not to run again. As no candidate filed a petition to be on the ballot, the seat will be filled by the write-in candidate that receives the most write-in votes IF that candidate secures at least 10 votes. If no write-in candidate wins the election, the board will solicit letters of interest for the seat and appoint someone from those that do so. That person would then serve a two-year term.
In District C, voters will fill two seats. Dwyane Burt and Nathan Goates, the incumbents, each secured both the Democratic and Republic nominations (in Pennsylvania, a candidate can cross-file) and are running unopposed.
On Thursday, October 28, at 7:00 pm, the Shippensburg Area Senior High School Student Activism Club is hosting a candidate forum. The SASHS Student Activism Club, “a non-partisan student group with a mission to empower students to make meaningful change in their communities,” has invited all SASD school director candidates on the official ballots of Cumberland and Franklin Counties to participate.
The forum will be conducted via Zoom and live-streamed to the public. Each candidate will be asked several student questions as well as some from the broader community.
Details on how to view the forum and submit questions are forthcoming.
The geographical area of the School District is divided into three parts—confusingly also called “districts”—each of which elects three school directors. These districts have been given the rather bland official names “District A,” “District B,” and “District C.”
District A is comprised of that area within SASD that is in Cumberland County, except the Borough of Shippensburg**.
District B is comprised of that area within SASD that is in Franklin County, _including_ the Franklin County portion of the Borough of Shippensburg.
District C is comprised of that area within SASD that is in the Cumberland County portion of the Borough of Shippensburg.
School directors are elected for four-year terms. However, terms overlaps such that every two years either four or five seats are up for re-election***.
On Tuesday, November 2, 2021, registered voters within SASD will elect candidates to fill four seats on the Board.
In District A, voters will fill one seat. Michael Lyman, the incumbent, secured the Democratic nomination in the primary earlier this year. Steph Eberly, running as a Republican, is the challenger.
In District B, one seat is open. The seat that is presently occupied by Erica Burg has no official ballot candidate. Erica, the incumbent, has chosen not to run again. As no candidate filed a petition to be on the ballot, the seat will be filled by the write-in candidate that receives the most write-in votes IF that candidate secures at least 10 votes. If no write-in candidate wins the election, the board will solicit letters of interest for the seat and appoint someone from those that do so. That person would then serve a two-year term.
In District C, voters will fill two seats. Dwyane Burt and Nathan Goates, the incumbents, each secured both the Democratic and Republic nominations (in Pennsylvania, a candidate can cross-file) and are running unopposed.
On Thursday, October 28, at 7:00 pm, the Shippensburg Area Senior High School Student Activism Club is hosting a candidate forum. The SASHS Student Activism Club, “a non-partisan student group with a mission to empower students to make meaningful change in their communities,” has invited all SASD school director candidates on the official ballots of Cumberland and Franklin Counties to participate.
The forum will be conducted via Zoom and live-streamed to the public. Each candidate will be asked several student questions as well as some from the broader community.
Details on how to view the forum and submit questions are forthcoming.
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*Based on my understanding. If you believe I’m mistaken in some detail, please let me know. Likewise, if you’ve questions, please ask.
**How do you know if you live in the Borough? If there are sidewalks in front of your house you most likely live in the Borough. Also, if you google “shippensburg,” google maps will draw a boundary line.
***When a seat is vacated due to resignation, the board appoints a replacement, but that seat comes up for election in the next two-year election cycle, regardless of how much time was left in the term by the candidate who resigned. So, it’s possible that, in some elections, more than five seats may be up for election.
