Ballots On Newberry Conversion Being Mailed This Week; Voting Hours Extended

ALACHUA, FL - The School Board of Alachua County on March 27, 2024, released the following information about the Newberry public school conversion process. 

Ballots are being delivered this week to parents and teachers who will be voting on the conversion of the schools in Newberry to charter schools.

In keeping with state rules, ballots are being mailed to parents eligible to vote on the conversion of Newberry Elementary, Oak View Middle and Newberry High. In addition to the ballot, parents are receiving instructions for completing and submitting their ballot, either by mail or in person. The instructions for each school are also available in English and Spanish at https://www.sbac.edu/charterconversion.

The voting window runs from Friday, April 5 through Friday, April 12, not including the weekend. The in-person voting hours have been extended on three of those dates. The voting dates/times/locations are as follows:

Newberry Elementary School: Location--Portable 99-053, west wide of campus behind cafeteria

                                                   Dates/Times--April 5, 9 and 11; 7:15 am to 3:30 pm

                                                                         April 8, 10 and 12; 7:15 am to 7 pm

  

Oak View Middle School: Location--Portable 3, south of front parking lot

                                           Dates/Time--April 5, 9 and 11; 7:30 am to 4 pm

                                                                 April 8, 10 and 12; 7:30 a.m. to 7 pm

Newberry High School: Location--Ticket booth at football field

                                       Dates/Time--April 5, 9 and 11; 7:30 to 4 pm

                                                             April 8, 10 and 12; 7:30 to 7 pm

The schools have also provided parents with a self-addressed stamped envelope if they chose to mail in their ballot. Mailed-in ballots must be postmarked no later than April 12 and received by the school before the close of business on April 16 to be counted.

Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Kim Barton is providing the required ballot boxes and two staff members for each school to supervise the boxes and the voting process for all six voting dates.

Also in keeping with state law, the ballots will be counted by an independent arbitrator jointly selected by the school district and the citizens who requested the conversion vote. The count will take place during a public meeting on April 17 at 8:30 a.m. at the Mentholee Norfleet Municipal Building in Newberry.

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