League of Women Voters Hosted Informative Session on School Board Service
An overflowing room at the Energy Zone gathered to learn about the responsibilities of school board membership
The Utica-Rome League of Women Voters hosted a well-attended presentation titled “So You Want to Run for School Board” on Saturday, March 22 at the Energy Zone. Thomas Moats, who brings over 20 years of experience on the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill school board and extensive work with the School Boards Association, delivered an informative session about the duties and challenges of school board service.
Among those in attendance were ex officio and past school board members including Shirley Knop from Clinton and Diane DiMeo, former Utica School board member. The event highlighted the upcoming May school board elections, where positions will be open in several districts including Utica, New Hartford, Rome, and VVS—some with unopposed candidates and others with crowded fields.
Moats emphasized that prospective board members should expect to dedicate at least four evenings monthly to this volunteer position, potentially exceeding 50 hours annually. He stressed the importance of teamwork and maintaining focus on student welfare as the primary consideration in all decision-making.
“Board members must be able to agree to disagree while still moving forward on stated goals,” Moats noted, highlighting the need for open-mindedness when handling sensitive matters including budgets, salary negotiations, curriculum issues, school infrastructure, and student concerns.
The Utica-Rome Metro League of Women Voters has previously organized candidate forums at the Oneida County History Center and assisted school boards with timekeeping and moderating duties. As a non-partisan organization, the League works to promote voter information, registration, and poll access, collaborating closely with the New York State and United States League of Women Voters.
More information about the local chapter can be found at https://lwvuticarome.org.
