The Board of Education of the Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools has resolved that the process for electing public board of education members in Kansas remain unchanged.
During a special board meeting on Feb. 4, the KCKPS Board of Education called upon the Kansas state Legislature to pass no law changing the election cycle for local boards of education and to pass no law changing the nonpartisan status of local board of education elections.
The Board of Education members believe that moving local public school board elections from spring to fall would reduce focus on school board candidates, as they compete for attention with all other candidates for every federal, state and local office, according to a spokesman for the board.
Moving the election from spring to fall would also potentially create a “lame duck” board, which may impend discussions of vital district processes such as administrator and teacher evaluations, contract extensions, teacher negotiations and budget preparation, according to a spokesman for the board. In addition, moving school board elections from spring to fall would impair a school district’s efficient operation based on a fiscal year of July 1 to June 30, according to the spokesman.
“The purpose of a locally elected school board is to have nonpartisan community members work in the best interests of our children,” said Evelyn Hill, Kansas City, Kan., Board of Education president. “The current process for electing local boards of education has and will continue to serve the best interests children of Kansas.”