Openings remain for school board seats
By Carole Carlson ccarlson@post-trib.com/648-3154 August 18, 2012 11:40PM
Updated: September 20, 2012 10:07AM
With just five days remaining in the filing period, there are plenty of vacant slots for school board seats in Lake and Porter counties.
The filing period in both counties ends at noon Friday. School board candidates will appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.
A recent state law moved all school board races to the general election. In the past, some had been held in the May primary.
In East Chicago, voters will elect a school board for the first time. It means nine seats are up for grabs and as of Friday, no one had filed for District 1 and District 5. Three at-large seats are open and so far, only Emmett Karl Mosley has filed.
In Gary, no one has filed yet for District 1, 2, and 4 seats and for an at-large seat.
District 4 incumbent Marion Williams said he plans to file. “Sometimes you’re busy doing other things and you forget about things that are essential.”
Williams said he needs to gather up signed petitions of registered voters to support his candidacy.
District 2 incumbent Ken Stalling said he still hasn’t made up his mind. “I’m leaning more toward not running. I’m not a career politician ... I’ve spent four years there. I just tried to maintain a board that was together.”
Board of Elections and Voters Registration Director Sally La Sota said she’s not sure why so many slots remain open. “We still do have another week,” she said. “I think they’re waiting.”
In Lake Ridge and Merrillville, there’s no one running for the District 1 seat on both boards yet.
In the River Forest district, no one has filed for the at-large seat. In Tri-Creek, no one’s filed for the Eagle Creek Township seat.
In Porter County, there are still open slots for Morgan, Pleasant and Washington township seats where no one has filed.
In Porter Township, no one has filed for the at-large seat or the second district seat.
