Filing for school board elections opens today

Filing for candidacy in school board elections opens today statewide.

In area districts, two seats are available on each board for three-year terms, and the two candidates with the most votes in the April 3 election will win the seats.

In Jackson, Brent Wills and Cathy Goodman have terms that are expiring. Wills said Monday he will likely file for another run. He will have served on the board for 12 years when his term expires in April. Goodman said she is still considering whether to file.

"I think there should be term limits, and after being on there nine years, I sometimes think it's good to have new ideas on a board. I'm weighing options now," she said.

There is no limit on the number of terms an individual can serve consecutively on a school board in Missouri.

Kyle McDonald and Deneké Murphy have expiring terms on Cape Girardeau's board.

McDonald said Monday he intends to file to run again. He is in his sixth year with the board and previously served as the board's vice president and president.

He has two daughters attending schools in the district and said he wants to continue serving on the board because he feels that the work the board has done to facilitate the construction projects of the district's $40 million bond-financed improvements shows that the board is working as a cohesive unit. The current board has also managed finances of the district well, McDonald said.

Murphy was appointed in August to replace Luther Bonds, who resigned his seat to take a position within the school district. She is a youth pastor and has three children in the district. A message was left on her home answering machine and an email was sent Monday, but she did not immediately respond.

School board members with expiring terms in Scott City are Gary Miller and Keith Simpson. In Perryville, the terms of Jim Bauwens and Kevin Bachmann are set to expire.

Interested people may file at their district's board office during regular business hours, which vary by district. The filing period closes Jan. 17.

Members of a school district's board of education must be U.S. citizens and resident taxpayers of the district, must have resided in Missouri for one year preceding their election or appointment and be at least 24 years old.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

614 E. Adams St., Jackson, MO

301 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO

3000 Main St., Scott City, MO

326 College St., Perryville, MO