Legislative veto override reinstates 3-year terms for SPS board

The Missouri General Assembly yesterday voted to override Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of House Bill 63, reinstating three-year terms for members of the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education.

A Missouri statute rule in place since 1964 dictates six-year terms for public school boards, but Springfield had been exempted from that rule from 1998 through Jan. 1. The exemption applied to districts with city populations of at least 100,000 and in first-class counties, as long as no adjoining county also had first-class status.

Christian County moved to first-class status Jan. 1, changing the SPS board terms back to six years, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

Under the new rule approved by the legislature, schools districts in which a majority of the district is in a home city with over 155,000 but fewer than 200,000 residents, elections will be held at the same time as general municipal elections and terms will be restricted to three years, according to a news release.

However, this may not apply to newly elected board members Jill Patterson, Francine Pratt and Bruce Renner, who Springfield voters approved Tuesday.

"Our interpretation, based on the timing of the override, is the three individuals elected on April 7 … will serve a six-year term," SPS Superintendent John Jungmann said in the release. "Future elections will be for three-year terms.

“We are pleased to have this issue resolved."