BY JODY BENSON
League of Women Voters
Los Alamos residents have the opportunity to make a difference by running for office in the upcoming nonpartisan local elections on Tuesday, November 4. Positions on the School Board, the UNM–Los Alamos Advisory Board, and the Mirador Public Improvement District Board are
on the ballot.
Candidate Filing Day
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
In Person at the Los Alamos County Clerk’s Office, 1000 Central Avenue, Suite 240 Please call the Clerk’s office at 505-662-8010 if you are unable to appear in person.
Positions Available:
LAPS School Board – District 1: representing Piñon School in White Rock
LAPS School Board – District 2: representing Chamisa in White Rock
UNM–Los Alamos Advisory Board (3 seats) at large in the community.
Mirador Public Improvement District Board (3 seats)
UNMLA Advisory Board
UNMLA Advisory Board members are elected at large to represent the community. Your role would be to “serve as an advisory body to the UNM Board of Regents on matters related to the UNMLA branch campus. You would provide input on the branch’s priorities, act as a sounding board for the Chancellor, approve the annual budget, and assist in approving and certifying the tax levy to Los Alamos County and calling elections for both tax levies and Advisory Board position.”
Mirador
The Mirador Public Improvement District Board is open only to residents of Mirador in White Rock. The Mirador PID Board oversees the Mirador development to manage infrastructure projects such as roads, utilities, and other amenities that benefit only the residents in Mirador. The MPID Board has three vacancies.
Now, the big one: LAPS School Board
School Board members as per New Mexico law, represent a particular school; however, because in New Mexico our School Boards are districted according to population and not necessarily according to the school your child attends, deciding to run for the Board is a little confusing. For example, Elk Park and residents on the South Side of Trinity will vote for, and can represent District 1, Piñon School in White Rock even though those students go to Aspen.
Please check the District Map.
laschools.net/school-board/district-maps
Why run for School Board? It’s a whole lot of work requiring a huge time commitment. Even though NM law restricts the Board’s powers and duties to only five areas: developing policies, hiring and supervising the superintendent, reviewing and approving the budget, managing property, suing and being sued—each of these areas requires not only committing to the hours of reading, meetings, and interaction with our schools, but the commitment to use these mandates for the benefit of the entire community, including that of our out-of-district students.
The previous school board did the heavy lifting (dare we say Herculean task?) of designing and building both White Rock Elementary Schools, one of which you will represent. You will have three veteran members to train and guide you into being a successful advocate of our kids, parents, and everybody else in the community no matter what the economic situation, gender, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, family situation, and neurodiversity. If you have the commitment and stamina, please attend the training on Monday.
https://www.laschools.net/school-board/school-board-elections
For more information, please check the County and State Clerk’s websites:
https://www.facebook.com/LACClerk/posts/run-for-office-in-los-alamoscandidate-filing-
dayaugust-26-2025-9-am-5-pmin-perso/1175689017930107/
https://www.sos.nm.gov/candidate-and-campaigns/how-to-become-a-candidate/