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School board seats up for election

Alexandria Gonzalez , The Park Record

Election year in Summit County will begin March 14 at 8 a.m. when those that want to run for public office can file to do so at the County Clerk’s Office. This year, precincts 4 and 5 on the Park City, North Summit and South Summit School District Boards of Education are on the ballot. Candidates must live in the precinct they hope to represent.

The filing window for running for a spot on the Park City School District Board of Education is from Friday, March 14, at 8 a.m. through Thursday, March 20, at 5 p.m. Chief Summit County Clerk Ryan Cowley said the filing fee is $50, and the compensation for being a member of a school district board education varies between the three districts. The races are non-partisan and precinct-specific.

Members of the Board of Education in Park City receive a stipend of $6,000 a year while those in South Summit receive a monthly stipend of roughly $300 and board members in North Summit are receive $250 a month.

Park City

In Park City, incumbent Michael Boyle currently holds seat No. 4, and represents the neighborhoods of Bitner, Jeremy East, Jeremy West, Kimball Canyon, Moose Hollow, Lower Silvercreek and Upper Silvercreek. Incumbent Charles Cunningham holds seat No. 5, representing Lower Pinebrook, Pinebrook North, Summit Park East, Upper Pinebrook and Wagon Wheel.

On Thursday, March 6, Boyle confirmed that he will not run for re-election due to an increasing work schedule.

"I am currently in charge of a large project at work now, and after two terms, I feel like it is time for someone else to lend their service to the board," he said. "I have enjoyed working with my fellow board members and district personnel for a district that my constituents and community can be proud of."

Boyle added that he hopes whoever replaces him on the school board has an open mind, the ability to listen and weigh all factors before rendering judgment and no agenda other than to continue to improve the school system.

Precinct 5 incumbent Charles Cunningham could not be reached for comment on whether or not he will run for re-election.

South Summit

In South Summit, Precinct 4 incumbent Steve Hardman represents the neighborhoods of Peoa, South Summit East and Weber Canyon. He said he will be running for re-election, because while the district is "in pretty good shape right now," he believes there are still things that need to be done that he wants to help facilitate.

Hardman is most concerned about the new neighborhood in Promontory as well as the search for a new superintendent with the help of the Utah School Board Association after Barry Walker’s retirement announcement last month.

"Most of the kids [in Promontory] go to Park City schools, but if it gets bigger, they will have to come to school in our district. Decisions will need to be made about whether we will bus students to our district or build a new school," he said. "These are the kinds of issues I like to be involved in, the kind that affect the education of our students."

We were unable to reach Precinct 5 incumbent Matt Flinders, who represents the neighborhoods of South Summit South and South Summit West, to see if he has decided to run for re-election or not.

North Summit

Meanwhile, in North Summit, precinct 5 incumbent Vern Williams represents the neighborhoods of Promontory Ridge and Wanship. He also confirmed his plans to run for re-election this year to continue the improvements he said he has been a part of since his election to the board, including figuring out how to handle "tough economic times."

"We have been sensitive to the tight economy and have not raised taxes for our constituents," he said. "We have moved our seventh- through twelfth-grade students to a one-on-one technology initiative and continue to improve technology access to all other grades as well."

Precinct 4 incumbent Michael Calderwood represents Promontory Ridge and Wanship, and he was unavailable for comment on his plans to run for re-election or not.

Those that would like to run for a seat on their district’s Board of Education can file at the Summit County Clerk’s office located at 60 N. Main St. in Coalville. The filing window is from March 14-20.


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