The School District of Washington’s school board filing opened Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 8 a.m. It will remain open until Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, at 5 p.m.
There are three open seats. Terms for board members Scott Byrne, Susan Thatcher and Bob Oreskovic will expire.
Byrne is completing his fourth term on the Board after first being elected in 2008. Thatcher is finishing her second term after first being elected in 2014. Oreskovic is completing his first term after being elected in 2017.
All three incumbents, Byrne, Thatcher and Oreskovic, registered on the opening day as filing opened at 8 a.m. They were the only three who registered as filing opened.
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 Monday, Dec. 23, through Wednesday, Jan. 1. It will reopen Thursday, Jan. 2, at 7:30 a.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.
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.
Incumbents, from left, Susan Thatcher, Bob Oreskovic and Scott Byrne register as the opening day of school board filing kicked off on Tuesday morning, Dec. 17. There are three open seats to the Board of Education.
