Are you passionate about Lewis Cass? If so, now is the time to consider running for one of two eligible school board seats. The requirements around the overall district have changed, so below is an explanation of who is eligible to run.
2026 School Board Candidate Election Procedures – Click here to view
First, a school board member has two main roles:
- Represent the concerns on constituents (parents, citizens)
- Establish policy and goals.
One thing a school board does not do is manage the day-to-day activities of Lewis Cass Schools; that falls on the superintendent. The superintendent does report to the school board.
- The Lewis Cass School district has five townships.
- The northernmost townships are Washington, Tipton, Miami
- The two southernmost townships are Deer Creek and Jackson
In the past, each township (5 townships) had one representative, and the candidate had to reside in that township to be eligible. However, it has been challenging to get willing candidates in each district during each election cycle, so we requested a change desiring better election participation.
The opportunity is now open to submit the paperwork to be on the ballot for this November’s election. The two eligible seats are for Deer Creek and Jackson Townships. However, here is where the change has been implemented:
As long as one candidate is from either Jackson or Deer Creek township (the two eligible positions up for election), the other candidate(s) can come from any of the five townships. Below are a few scenarios to better explain this change. The assumptions below assume they met the requirements for school board candidacy:
Scenario 1:
John Doe lives in Galveston (Jackson township)
Jane Buck lives in Walton (Tipton township)
Under this scenario, both candidates would win and be on the school board for four years. This is because one of the candidates is from one of two open townships, and the second is from any township within the Lewis Cass district.
Scenario 2:
John Doe lives in Galveston (Jackson township)
Jane Buck lives in Walton (Tipton township)
Jack Fawn lives by Anoka (Tipton township)
In this scenario, John would win (assuming he gets one vote) because he lives in one of the two open townships and the highest vote recipient (Jane or Jack) would win the other seat.
Scenario 3:
John Doe lives in Galveston (Jackson township)
Jane Buck lives in Walton (Tipton township)
Jack Fawn lives in Young America (Deer Creek township)
The top two vote recipients would be the two board election winners because at least one of them is from Deer Creek or Jackson Township.
In 2029, there will be three seats open for election, and the same scenario will apply, but in reverse. At least one candidate will need to reside in Washington, Tipton, Miami townships. We have requested this change so that we can foster more participation and not limit it to five townships, but townships and the overall district.
If you have ever desired to serve your community and are passionate about all things Lewis Cass Schools, please consider filing the necessary paperwork now as the window is currently open. The lik below will take you to the necessary site. This summary may cause more confusion than clarification, so please reach out to any school board member and we will explain it in more detail.
Go Kings!