There is currently no limit to the number of consecutive terms a Mat-Su School Board member can serve. Nor are there any restrictions on what school board members can award themselves for compensation and benefits.
A resolution to be introduced at the board’s June 2 meeting seeks to change these realities.
The resolution notes that Mat-Su Borough Assembly members are subject to term limitations, and that other municipal entities across Alaska have imposed limitations on local school boards. The resolution states that the borough should limit the number of consecutive terms a school board member can serve to three, with a member being allowed to serve again on the school board no earlier than three years after the last date they served.
The longest serving school board member is Sarah Welton, who has been on the board continuously since 2003.
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One part of the resolution deals with election margins. There is currently no minimum percentage of votes that an elected official in the Mat-Su Borough needs to achieve in order to win an election. The school board resolution, however, calls on the borough to consider a minimum percentage of votes for both Assembly and school board members.
It also asks the Mat-Su Borough to take over the responsibility of establishing compensation and benefits for school board members.
TAKING ACTION
The next Mat-Su School Board meeting is June 2 at 6 p.m. Public testimony can be provided in person during persons to be heard or may be submitted in writing and emailed to the School Board using the link located on the School Board website. Members of the public wishing to provide testimony telephonically must sign up no later than 3pm the day of the meeting by contacting School Board Administrative Assistant Stacy Escobedo at Stacy.Escobedo@matsuk12.us or 907-746-9272.
