Appointment for Vacated Seat:

The Royalton-Hartland Central School District Board of Education is seeking to fill a vacancy on the Board for the seat previously held by Jason Wilhelm, who recently resigned effective at the end of business on August 1, 2025. New York State law allows school boards to fill such vacancies by appointment until the next regular election on May 19, 2026.

The appointment will be for a term beginning August 2025 through May 19, 2026. If the appointed person wishes to remain on the Board of Education, they would need to file a petition and run for election in May, along with any other interested candidates.

Qualifications and Exclusions of Candidates:

1. Must be able to read and write;
2. Must be a qualified voter of the district;
3. Does not necessarily have to be a taxpayer;
4. Must be residents in the district for at least one year prior to their election;
5. Excludes individuals who reside with another board member; and
6. Excludes current employees.

Helpful Resources: 

The New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) notes that School Board members should possess the following traits to be an effective member:

• Effective Communicator: Can describe what he or she wants and describe what others want; a good listener
• Consensus Builder: Capable of working toward decisions that all can support and willing to compromise to achieve goals
• Community Participant: Enjoys meeting a variety of people, can identify the community’s key communicators and reaches out to the community
• Decision Maker: Is comfortable making decisions and can support group decision-making
• Information Processor: Can organize priorities and schedules to handle large amounts of verbal and written information
• Leader: Willing to take risks, be supportive of board colleagues, district staff, and community
• Team Player: Helps promote the board’s vision and goals

For more information, please watch this quick video and visit the NYSSBA website to learn more about the process of becoming a Board member.

Application Process: 

Interested candidates should submit the provided application below, as well as any other supporting documentation that may be helpful in the selection process, to the office of the District Clerk, Jenna Snell, no later than 3:00 p.m. on July 31, 2025.

Board Vacancy Application

For more information on the Board vacancy, please contact Jenna Snell at 716-735-2000 ext. 2318