Connor Kurtz, self-described fiscal conservative, aims to win himself a seat on the Daniel Boone Area School District school board. He won't be able to vote for himself in the primary next month, however, because he's only 17.
The Amity Township, Pa., junior turns 18 in September and can legally run in the November election. He faces three other candidates. If he wins, he'll attend a local college so he can serve his full four-year term.
Ratty flags flying at a local middle school prompted Kurtz's initial interest in the school board. He then found himself interested in other school issues and frustrated by what he perceived as incompetence on the board.
"I realized they don't know what they're doing. They don't have a plan," he told KYW-TV. "It boggles my mind that you can be on the school board without a plan."
Kurtz's platform includes belt-tightening. He believes taxes in the district are too high, due in part to school system overspending, particularly on school facilities and teacher salaries.
While Kurtz's parents support his decision to run, his mother, Heather, is concerned about how his teachers might handle having a school board member in their classroom.
At least one of Kurtz's opponents worries about conflicts of interest and Kurtz's age. But the candidate argues that his age is a plus.
"I believe my age is an advantage," he told the Reading Eagle. "I'm the end user of the services that the district provides. All the decisions the board makes affect me."
High School Junior Runs for School Board
Apr 28, 2011 – 1:11 PM
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