Elections
Running for the board
Members of the board are elected annually on the same day as the school budget vote (third Tuesday in May).
To qualify as a school board candidate, you must be:
- a U.S. citizen
- at least 18 years old
- able to read and write
- a district resident for at least one year
Qualified residents who are interested in running for the Rockland School Board must complete a nominating petition. The petition must be signed by at least 25 qualified school district voters or two percent of the number of those who voted in the previous annual election, whichever number is greater. All school board candidate nominating petitions must be filed with the District Clerk.
Prospective school board members are encouraged to visit the New York State School Boards Association website to learn more about the school board election process.
Petitions for 2026 election
Petitions for those who are interested in running for the Rockland Central School Board of Education will be available starting March 2.
Rockland School District has a seven-person Board of Education. All seats are at-large, with each member serving a three-year term. Three seats are up for election this year, with two each of the following years.
Those who wish to run for school board must be:
-
able to read and write; a citizen of the United States;
-
at least 18 years of age; a qualified voter of the district;
-
and a resident of the school district for at least one year before election
No employee of the school district may be a member of the board, except as permitted by law, and no more than one member of a family shall be a member of the same Board of Education.
Prospective board members should contact District Clerk Marlyn Peters at Marlyn.Peters@rcsd.us or 845-439-1500, ext. 7201, for a nomination packet and petition. Completed forms, including a petition with at least 25 valid signatures of qualified district voters, must be returned to the district office no later than 5 p.m. April 20.
The seats currently held by Nicole Park, Chris Tuleweit and Tom Ward will be up for election this year. The top three vote-getters will serve three-year terms running July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.