School board elections get crowd of candidates

After the filing period for school board races ended Tuesday, one might think local school districts were offering a salary for new board members this year. April ballots will be full of candidates.

Meadow Heights, Oak Ridge and Perryville schools each have nine candidates vying for three openings on their boards. Officials in all three districts say it's an unprecedented number, but no one is sure what the attraction is this year.

"I have never had more than five at a time," said Barb Hagan, who handles filing with the Perryville district. "There a lot more interest, but I don't know why."

Oran School District has eight candidates, Delta has seven and both Leopold and Zalma have six candidates.

All local districts have three terms of three years each up for election this year except Cape Girardeau, where there is an additional one-year term available due to a board member's resignation in 2004.

Cape Girardeau School District has a total of nine candidates as well, seven running for three regular openings and two running for the special one-year term.

The candidate lists in most of the districts also contain more women than seen in recent years. Twenty-nine of the 87 candidates running in 15 local districts are women. Currently, 30 of 105 board members in local districts are women. Nell Holcomb School District's election slate this year is made up completely of women.

Three filed, and because there are only three openings, the district is not required to hold an election this year, said superintendent David Fuemmeler.

The election will take place April 5.

cclark@semissourian.com

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