The Menands Union Free School District Board of Education is made up of five volunteer citizens who are elected on the third Tuesday in May each year to serve five-year terms.
A school board member takes on one of the most important citizen responsibilities: overseeing the education of the community’s youth. School boards are composed of volunteers within the community who dedicate their time to better public education. The Board of Education oversees and manages the community’s public school system. It ensures the public schools are flexible and responsive to the needs of the community.
This year, there are three candidates running for two open seats, one for a term of five (5) years commencing on July 1, 2022 and expiring on June 30, 2027, and the second for the remaining balance of an unexpired term that commenced on July 1, 2018 and expires on June 30, 2023, with the successful candidate for such unexpired term being eligible to take office immediately upon being elected and duly qualified. On the ballot, you may vote for two persons, one for each of the vacant seats. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected to the five (5) year term and the candidate with the second highest number of votes shall be elected to fill the remainder of the unexpired term.
Meet the Candidates
On May 17, voters in the Menands Union Free School District will elect two board members. Candidates must meet all of the other requirements to run for the Board.
Candidates are listed below in the order they will appear on the ballot:
Jennifer Baltrush
Charles Luke
Elangovan Raman
Jennifer Baltrush
Jennifer is seeking her first term on the Board. She currently works for the Social Security Administration’s Office of Disability Adjudication and Review as an Attorney Advisor. She has lived in Menands for over 10 years.
Charles Luke
Charles is seeking his first term on the Board. He currently works for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as a Financial Analyst. He has lived in Menands for nine years.
Elangovan Raman
Elangovan is seeking his first full term on the Board. He was appointed on Feb. 14, 2022 to the Board to fill a vacancy. He currently works as a Database Manager for the New York State Integrated Eligibility Systems (IES) program. He has lived in Menands for the past 21 years.