| Nassau Region PTA |
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| School & Community (Candidates' Forum) |
| Is your PTA planning a Candidates' Forum? Nassau Region PTA can help. Moderators and Timekeepers are available. Click on the flyer below for a printable form. Click on the documents below for more information: PTA and School Board Elections PTA and School Budgets PTA is Nonpartisan |
MEET the Candidates
Is your PTA planning a Candidates’ Forum?
Nassau Region PTA can help.
Moderators and Timekeepers are available upon request. Three weeks written notice is suggested.
*Note: ONLY contested Elections will be considered. However, if a PTA board member is a candidate, it is
advisable to contact another group such as the League of Women Voters or the American Association of
University Women.
Guidelines visit: www.nyspta.org/members NYS PTA Resource Guide, PTA and School Board Elections -
Section 8: pages 7-9 (*Note- the user name and password are located on your PTA membership card.)
Questions contact: Sarah Henris at (516 628-2873 or schoolandcommunity@nassaupta.org
PTA and School Board Elections
PTA is a not-for-profit corporation with a tax exemption under IRS rules, which states that such
organizations may not make written or oral statements for or against candidates for public office.
What PTAs Can Do
They can...
• Publish qualifications for school board members.
• Publicize the filing date for candidate petitions.
• Distribute a flier with candidates’ biographies.
• Sponsor a well-publicized district-wide meeting to which all candidates are invited to present their views
and to respond to questions. (A Candidates’ Forum is an ideal PTA council project.)
Candidates’ Forums
PTAs can conduct candidates’ forums to assist the community in making an informed judgment in the
election of its board of education.
Suggested Guidelines
• Publicize the date.
• Invite all candidates to the forum.
• List date, place and time of forum.
• Request a reply from the candidate.
• Send by certified mail with return receipt requested.
• Include a copy of the forum’s format.
• Indicate “candidates are to meet with the moderator fifteen (15) minutes before the forum to review the
format”.
• Inform candidates that written statements by absentee candidates will not be read.
• Inform candidates that no campaign literature can be distributed at the forum.
•Follow-up to be sure the invitation was received.
For complete information on dos and don’ts, please refer to your NYS PTA Resource Guide, which can
be downloaded from the Members only section of the NYS PTA website, www.nyspta.org
PTA and School Budget Votes
It is important for the PTA to have input as early as possible in the budget process. It is critical that the
PTA take the time to become well informed and work constructively with the school board and
superintendent to ensure that their opinions are known. It is the PTA’s responsibility to promote an
understanding of the education needs of the community and to demonstrate how the proposed budget
meets those needs. The proposed budget need not contain all of PTA’s priorities for it to be
supported. A statement of PTA’s concerns can inform the board of education of those aspects of
the budget which it does not concur. For complete information on dos and don’ts, please refer to
your NYS PTA Resource Guide, which can be downloaded from the Members only section of the NYS
PTA website, www.nyspta.org
VOTE – Tuesday, May 15th on School and Library Budgets; elect Board of
Education Trustees
Is your PTA planning a Candidates’ Forum?
Nassau Region PTA can help.
Moderators and Timekeepers are available upon request. Three weeks written notice is suggested.
*Note: ONLY contested Elections will be considered. However, if a PTA board member is a candidate, it is
advisable to contact another group such as the League of Women Voters or the American Association of
University Women.
Guidelines visit: www.nyspta.org/members NYS PTA Resource Guide, PTA and School Board Elections -
Section 8: pages 7-9 (*Note- the user name and password are located on your PTA membership card.)
Questions contact: Sarah Henris at (516 628-2873 or schoolandcommunity@nassaupta.org
PTA and School Board Elections
PTA is a not-for-profit corporation with a tax exemption under IRS rules, which states that such
organizations may not make written or oral statements for or against candidates for public office.
What PTAs Can Do
They can...
• Publish qualifications for school board members.
• Publicize the filing date for candidate petitions.
• Distribute a flier with candidates’ biographies.
• Sponsor a well-publicized district-wide meeting to which all candidates are invited to present their views
and to respond to questions. (A Candidates’ Forum is an ideal PTA council project.)
Candidates’ Forums
PTAs can conduct candidates’ forums to assist the community in making an informed judgment in the
election of its board of education.
Suggested Guidelines
• Publicize the date.
• Invite all candidates to the forum.
• List date, place and time of forum.
• Request a reply from the candidate.
• Send by certified mail with return receipt requested.
• Include a copy of the forum’s format.
• Indicate “candidates are to meet with the moderator fifteen (15) minutes before the forum to review the
format”.
• Inform candidates that written statements by absentee candidates will not be read.
• Inform candidates that no campaign literature can be distributed at the forum.
•Follow-up to be sure the invitation was received.
For complete information on dos and don’ts, please refer to your NYS PTA Resource Guide, which can
be downloaded from the Members only section of the NYS PTA website, www.nyspta.org
PTA and School Budget Votes
It is important for the PTA to have input as early as possible in the budget process. It is critical that the
PTA take the time to become well informed and work constructively with the school board and
superintendent to ensure that their opinions are known. It is the PTA’s responsibility to promote an
understanding of the education needs of the community and to demonstrate how the proposed budget
meets those needs. The proposed budget need not contain all of PTA’s priorities for it to be
supported. A statement of PTA’s concerns can inform the board of education of those aspects of
the budget which it does not concur. For complete information on dos and don’ts, please refer to
your NYS PTA Resource Guide, which can be downloaded from the Members only section of the NYS
PTA website, www.nyspta.org
VOTE – Tuesday, May 15th on School and Library Budgets; elect Board of
Education Trustees