The School District of Washington’s school board filing will close on Tuesday, December 26, at 5 p.m.
There will be two open seats. Terms for board members Kevin Blackburn and John Freitag expire in 2024. Blackburn is completing his fourth term on the Board after first being elected in 2012. Freitag is completing his third term on the Board after first being elected in 2015.
As of Thursday, December 21, the two incumbents, Blackburn and Freitag, are the only candidates who have filed.
Board members are elected to three-year terms.
Candidates should register in Julie Bell’s office on the second floor of the Washington School District administration building at 220 Locust St. in Washington.
Regular filing hours following the opening day will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The district office will be closed for the winter break from the close of business on Friday December 22, through Monday, December 25. It will reopen for the final day of filing on Tuesday, December 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Except for the first and last day of filing, filing will not occur on days that the District is closed due to inclement weather or other health-related reasons.
Board member qualifications include:
All candidates must be at least 24 years of age, U.S. citizens and resident taxpayers of the district, and have resided in Missouri for one year preceding their election.
Candidates cannot be delinquent in the payment of any state income taxes, personal property taxes, municipal taxes or real property taxes on stated residence.
They also cannot be a registered sex offender, or found guilty or pled guilty to a felony under Missouri law.
Additionally, candidates cannot be convicted or pled guilty to a felony or misdemeanor under federal law.
Candidates must file all required campaign disclosure reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission, when applicable, for all previous elections in which they were candidates.
About the Board
The seven-member Board of Education serves as the governing body for the school district.
The school board sets district policies, selects the superintendent of schools, adopts the annual budget and determines the tax rate.
The school board always holds a reorganization meeting in April following the election. New school board members are sworn in at that time for their new three-year terms.