- Special School District of St. Louis County
- Board of Education
Candidate Filing Opens Dec. 5, 2023 for Two Open Seats on the SSD Board of Education
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Nov. 17, 2023 - Candidate filing for two open seats on the Special School District Board of Education opens at 8 AM on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, and continues until 5 PM on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The terms of current Vice President Dr. Meredith Byers, Subdistrict 5 and Director Ms. Tiffany Hudson, Subdistrict 6, expire in March 2024.
The two open seats are for three-year terms beginning in March 2024 in the following subdistricts:
- Subdistrict 5 – Brentwood, Kirkwood, Lindbergh, Valley Park, and Webster Groves
- Subdistrict 6 – Ladue, Normandy, Ritenour, and University City
Filing Process
Applications will be distributed at the SSD Central Office located at 12110 Clayton Road in Town and Country, between 8 AM and 4 PM, starting on Tuesday, Dec. 5, through Friday, Dec. 22, at 12 PM. The District office will be closed, and no filings will be accepted after noon on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, through Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, for winter break. The final day for filing will be Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023, from 3 to 5 PM by appointment only. To schedule an appointment for Dec. 26, please contact Amy Doyle at adoyle@ssdmo.org or call 314-989-8419. The shortened filing period stems from a Missouri law that went into effect in June 2021, where filing begins sooner and ends earlier.
Under Governing Council regulations, information packets, and applications must be picked up and returned to the SSD Central Office by the candidate. Packets and forms will not be mailed. Those returning completed applications must show proof of identification. Filing will not occur on days when the District’s offices are closed due to inclement weather or in the event of a district closure.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the open Board seats, applicants must: be a citizen of the United States; have resided in Missouri for at least one year; be at least 24 years old; be a registered voter of the District, and be a resident of the subdistrict in which the application is filed; not delinquent in the payment of any state income taxes, personal property taxes, municipal taxes, or real estate property taxes on the place of residence; never pled guilty or nolo contendere, nor been convicted of a felony; is not registered or required to be registered as a sex offender, and has filed all required campaign disclosure reports for any previous elections.
With the passage of Proposition S in 1998, SSD Board of Education members are elected by the District’s Governing Council. The Governing Council is comprised of one Board of Education member from each of the 22 partner school districts in St. Louis County.
For more information, call the Superintendent’s Office at 314.989.8419.
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Who makes up the SSD Board of Education?
The 22 school districts in St. Louis County are divided into seven subdistricts based on student population. Each of the seven SSD Board members represents a different subdistrict.
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What are the duties of the Board of Education?
The key responsibilities of the Board are to review and approve the District's annual budget; review and approve the District's long-range plan; hire and evaluate SSD's superintendent; serve as a liaison with subdistricts; and evaluate and set District policy.
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What is the time commitment required to serve on the Board?
Regularly scheduled public Board of Education meetings are held in the evening on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the District's Central Office (12110 Clayton Road in Town & Country). At least one of the meetings is typically preceded by a closed executive session meeting and/or other special meeting. Including time to attend meetings and to review documents in preparation for the meetings, Board members, on average, devote 15-20 hours per month to District matters. In addition, Board members may volunteer for or be appointed to serve on Board subcommittees and may serve as the Board's representative at other meetings or functions. Board members are expected to attend District or school events, such as awards banquets and graduations.
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Who is eligible to file for election to the SSD Board?
Applicants for the SSD Board of Education must be citizens of the United States, must have resided in Missouri for at least one year, be at least 24 years old, be a registered voter of the District, and be a resident of the subdistrict in which the application is filed. In addition, successful candidates are expected to complete 16 hours of Board training held by the Missouri School Boards Association in the first year of office.
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Who elects the SSD Board members?
With the passage of Proposition S in 1998, SSD Board of Education members are elected by SSD's Governing Council, not by popular vote. The Governing Council, which is comprised of one Board of Education member from each of the 22 school districts in St. Louis County, interviews candidates who have applied for open seats on the Board. The Governing Council then holds an election among its members to determine who will hold Board seats.
