News file photo Alpena Public Schools Board of Education members Sarah Costain and Monica Dziesinski are pictured in this photo from June 29. Costain and Dziesinski both may face a recall election after petitions were filed against them in February.

ALPENA — The official numbers of verified signatures for the recall of Alpena Public Schools Board of Education members Eric Lawson, Monica Dziesinski, and Sarah Costain were released by Alpena County Clerk Keri Bertrand, showing over 500 invalid signatures for each of the three petitions.

Recall petitions against Lawson, Dziesinski, and Costain were filed in February by Alpena Township resident Yvonne Johnson.

Recall petition organizers completed an unofficial count of the signatures showing that Costain received 4,442 signatures, Lawson received 4,338, and Dziesinski received 4,348.

Each board member needs 3,771 signatures for a recall election to be declared.

Bertrand has now counted and verified the signatures. Costain has 3,859 valid signatures, Lawson had 3,803, and Dziesinski had 3,786.

That means 583 signatures were invalidated for Costain, 562 for Dziesinski, and 535 for Lawson.

Each of the board members has a chance to challenge signatures until July 29. To stop the recall from moving forward, Dziesinski would need to successfully challenge 16 signatures, Lawson 33, and Costain 89.

Bertrand will officially declare a recall election by Aug. 3 should there be the required number of signatures. At that point, any challengers that would like to face the three recalled board members for a two year partial term on the APS Board of Education need to file an affidavit within 10 days of the recall election announcement.

“The effort to hold Dziesinski, Lawson, and Costain accountable for their actions — and at times inaction — as school board members advances closer to a vote,” Johnson said in a Wednesday press release. “Today, Alpena’s voters take another step toward a school board that puts the future of our students at the center of every decision and fulfills its duty to parents, taxpayers, and educators.”

“The ongoing goal is to reach a future where our board members make decisions that maximize student achievement, foster a positive learning environment for all students, and manage taxpayer dollars responsibly,” she added.

The language on each of the petitions was declared sufficiently clear and factual by the Alpena County Board of Election Commissioners in March. The petitions were circulated for signatures beginning in May and ending the last week of June.