Speculation about moving school board races finds tepid response in Cape

Count the Cape Girardeau School Board as less than enthralled with a proposal to move Show Me State school board races from the spring to late fall.

Currently, a candidate seeking a seat on a school board in Missouri runs in the April general municipal election, which typically sees a light voter turnout.

Missy Nieveen Phegley, who took her seat on the Cape Girardeau board in July, serves as a delegate to the Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA).

MSBA tasked its delegates to discover whether there is support among local boards for moving elections to November.

Phegley asked her colleagues their opinions during Monday's meeting of the Cape Girardeau board.

MSBA, according to Phegley, is seeing a national trend to shift school board elections since so many more people vote in the late year election.

Indeed, the local numbers over the past decade bear out this reality.

In the last 10 years in Cape Girardeau County, the highest voter turnout for an April election was in 2011 as 8,702, or 22.84%, of registered voters cast ballots. The lowest was in 2018, when 4,774 voters, or 12.98%, voted.

For November elections, the numbers are markedly higher and last month's figures are a case in point.

Over the last decade, the highest November turnout was witnessed this year, as 40,576 voters, or 73.31%, of those registered cast ballots Nov. 3.

Cape Girardeau School Board president Kyle McDonald, whose seat is open in the coming April 6 election, said he thinks nothing should change in terms of a date.

"School board elections should be apolitical," McDonald said Monday, "and November is a more partisan voting cycle, more expensive and with campaign committees needed."

No Cape Girardeau board member who was present voiced support for the idea of an election move.

Phegley is in accord with McDonald's thoughts.

"I agree a November election is more political and party-affiliated," she said, adding delegates have been asked to report their findings to MSBA by Jan. 1.

As of Tuesday, no pre-filed legislation on moving school board elections has been introduced by lawmakers for the Missouri General Assembly regular session, which begins Jan. 6.