New York’s Staten Island. Elections for Staten Island’s Community Education Council (CEC) 31 and other citywide and community education councils for the 2025–2027 term will soon begin.
Elections to fill all 325 elected seats for the two-year term starting on July 1 are under underway. Education councils are elected every two years. Parents can influence the aims and policies of New York City schools through councils.
Online applications are accepted from January 13 to February 16 at schools.nyc.gov.
Voting will take place from late April to May 13 after candidates campaign from late February to April. June will see the announcement of the results, and on July 1, 2025, members will take their seats.
Ten voting members make up each CEC, including two borough president appointees and parents of students in pre-K through eighth grade. The CECs attend hearings on the capital plan, approve school zoning lines, collaborate closely with the district superintendents, and offer feedback on matters of policy and instruction.
If you are the parent of a student enrolled in pre-K through eighth grade at a school that is part of the community school district where you want to serve on the CEC, you are qualified to run.
Additionally, there are four citywide councils for certain student populations: the Citywide Council for District 75 (CCD75), the Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS), the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE), and the Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL).
Every council, except for the Citywide Council on High Schools, which has 13 members (10 elected parents and 3 appointees), has 11 voting members (nine elected parents and two appointees), just like CECs.
The following individuals are qualified to serve on an education council.
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All elected members of the education councils must be parents. For the purpose of determining eligibility, chancellor s regulations define parent as: A parent (by birth or adoption, stepparent, or foster parent), legal guardian, or person in parental relation to a child. A person in parental relation to a child is a person who is directly responsible for the care and custody of the child on a regular basis in lieu of a parent or legal guardian.
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If you re applying to a CEC, you must have a child who currently attends pre-K through 8th grade in a school under the jurisdiction of the community school district where you wish to serve. You will also qualify to run for a seat on that CEC if you have a child attending a District 75 program physically located in the CEC s geographic district. This is a reserved seat, for which only District 75 parents can run or vote.
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If you are applying to the Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS), you must have a child currently attending a public, non-charter high school. CCHS has 10 elected seats, two for each borough. There is a separate election for each borough; where your child s high school is located will determine which ballot for which you qualify.
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If you are applying to the Citywide Council for District 75, you must have a child enrolled in a District 75 school or program anywhere in New York City. That child will also qualify you to run for the CEC where your child s program is physically located.
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If you are applying to the Citywide Council on Special Education, you must have a child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The child may be in a Department of Education (DOE) public school, charter or private school.
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If you are applying to the Citywide Council on English Language Learners, you must have a child classified as an English Language Learner who is currently enrolled in a Dual Language, Transitional Bilingual Education, or English as a New Language (ENL) program, or who was enrolled in such a program within the previous two years.
Each council has different additional eligibility requirements. The city says you can run for more than one council, but you can only serve on one.
Parents can visit schools.nyc.gov to learn more.
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