Potential School Board Candidates Invited to Nov 11 Info Session

The Kearney School District Board of Education (BOE) will be hosting an informational session for individuals interested in filing as Board candidates on the April 7, 2026, election ballot.

The KSD BOE Candidate Info Session will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the  KSD central office, which is located at 425 W. Washington St. All members of the public are welcome to attend.

Please inform BOE Secretary Becky Burkemper by emailing burkemperb@ksdr1.net or calling (816) 628-4116 before the close of business on Monday, Nov. 10, if you plan to attend.

This session is designed to provide useful guidance for those who may want to serve on the school board. Topics will include information about board elections and the roles and responsibilities of the school board members.

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). The board's other roles include:

Facilitate public engagement in order to help meet stakeholder expectations

Oversee the Superintendent of Schools, who, in turn, is solely responsible for district management and operations

Monitor district progress toward meeting the Board goals

Govern itself effectively, efficiently and with transparency

Three KSD school board seats will be open for next spring's municipal election. Under Missouri statute, school board candidate filing for the April election will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9, and will close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30. 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 pleaded guilty to a felony under Missouri or federal law, and/or are registered or required to register as a sex offender.

KPGZ News – Ray Weikal contributed to this story.