Kearney R-1 School District Board of Education candidate filing for the April 2, 2024, election ballot will open at 8 a.m. on Dec. 5, 2023. Two Board of Education positions with three-year terms are available.

Candidates must file at the Kearney School District central office, which is located at 425 W. Washington St., Kearney, MO. Candidate filing can be between the office hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. The filing location will close at 1 p.m. on Dec. 22 and remain closed until 3 p.m. on Dec. 26. The administrative office will be open for filing from 3 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 26. Filing will close on Dec. 26 at that time as required by law.

Ballot order will be determined by the order of candidate filing, with the exception of filing on Tuesday, Dec. 5, when ballot placement will be determined by random drawing, if necessary.

If the district is closed due to inclement weather, please contact the Board Secretary at (816) 628-4116 as the district office may still be open.

The County Clerk of Clay County is the election authority. The Secretary to the Board of Education will notify the County Clerk of the candidates in writing by Jan. 23, 2024. This official notification will include a copy of the legal notice and sample ballot for the April 2, 2024, election. The Board Secretary will also forward to the County Clerk of Clay County and the County Clerk of Clinton County deposits for the cost of the election as required by law.

In Missouri, school boards are composed of seven non-partisan, volunteer elected officials who each serve three-year terms. The primary job of the school board is to employ the superintendent and set the strategic goals and policies for the district, according to the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA).

School Board members facilitate public engagement in order to help meet stakeholder expectations and monitor district progress toward meeting its goals. They also oversee the Superintendent of Schools, who in turn is solely responsible for district management and operations. Finally, the School Board is expected to govern itself effectively, efficiently and with transparency.

School Board candidates must be:

A U.S. citizen
A resident taxpayer of the district
A resident of Missouri for at least one year
At least 24 years old

Candidates must also be current on state and local taxes and have filed required campaign documents for all previous campaigns, if any. Individuals cannot file as candidates if they have been found guilty of or pled guilty to a felony under Missouri or federal law, and/or are registered or required to register as a sex offender.

Visit www.ksdr1.net/board-of-education and click on "Board of Education 2024 Election" for additional resources.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story