ISD Board of Education Election Guidelines and Procedures
As of November 13, 2025
INDEPENDENCE SCHOOL DISTRICT GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES
BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTION - APRIL 7, 2026
I. Qualifications for Candidacy
a. Must be a citizen of the United States.
b. Must be a registered voter living in the School District.
c. Must have resided in the State of Missouri for one year preceding his/her election.
d. Must be at least twenty-four years of age.
e. Not delinquent in paying state income taxes, personal property taxes, municipal taxes, or real property taxes.
f. Not been found guilty or pled guilty to a felony under federal law or to a felony under Missouri law or an offense committed in another state that would be considered a felony in Missouri.
g. Not convicted of or entered into a guilty plea for an offense in the first or second degree under sections 565.050 or 565.052 RSMo where such assault or harassment occurred on
school district grounds.
h. Not a registered sex offender or required to register as a sex offender under Missouri law.
i. If a candidate in a previous election, must have filed all required campaign disclosure reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
j. If a corporate officer of any fee offices (like a Department of Motor Vehicles license office), the office cannot owe any taxes to the state.
II. Nomination by Petition
Persons interested in filing for the April 7, 2026 school board election are required to file with the Secretary of the Board of Education a petition with at least one hundred (100) signatures of qualified registered voters of the School District of Independence.
Petition blanks may be picked up from the Board Secretary, 201 North Forest Avenue, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily beginning Tuesday, December 9, 2025 (except for Winter Recess - December 24, 2025 through December 29, 2025). Persons interested in running for the Board of Education will need to pick up petitions in person and have petitions initialed by the Board Secretary. The Board of Education Office will be open from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 for those filing the last day of the candidate filing period.
III. Petition Filing Date and Order on Ballot
Petitions properly completed must be filed with the Board Secretary at 201 North Forest Avenue, Independence, Missouri, no later than 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 30, 2025. The Board Secretary will indicate the time and date of filing on each petition as received. The petitions will be forwarded to the Jackson County Board of Election Commissioners for determination of the validity of the signatures and residence in the school district. A random drawing for the order in which names shall appear on the ballot will be conducted for candidates who file a declaration of candidacy and returned the number of required petition signatures on the first day, December 9,
2025 (115.127 (5) RSMo). The names of candidates filing after December 9, 2025 will be listed on the ballot in the order in which valid petitions are received by the Board Secretary and as described in the District Policy. Petitions found to be invalid may not be amended to preserve order of listing on the ballot.
Persons with petitions found to be in order with the proper number of valid signatures will be certified as candidates for election by the Secretary of the Board of Education of the School District of Independence.
IV. Certification of Candidates
The Secretary of the Board of Education will certify the candidates and their order on the ballot at the Board of Education Office, 201 North Forest Avenue, Independence, Missouri, at a special meeting to be scheduled prior to Tuesday, January 27 th , 2026 in the presence of candidates and others desiring to attend.
V. Candidate Name Policy
All names shall appear in the same form in which the candidate is registered to vote, except that:
1. Prefixes and suffixes which represent titles or degrees shall not be used.
2. The following exceptions, when certified by the candidate as a necessary means of identification, may be allowed: commonly used nicknames; or commonly used abbreviations.
The Board of Election Commissioners, in its discretion, may review the necessity of such identification after providing notice to the candidate.
Independence School Board Election - Public Notice of Filing
Posted December 2, 2025
The Independence School District encourages qualified persons interested in running for a position on the school board to file as a candidate for the Tuesday, April 7, 2026, Municipal Election.
The District will accept filings at Central Office located at 201 North Forest Avenue, Independence, MO 64050.
Filing will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, and continue during the District’s regular business hours, which are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The last day to file is Tuesday, December 30, 2025. The Board of Education Office will be open from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 for those filing the last day of the candidate filing period. A random drawing for the order in which names shall appear on the ballot will be conducted for candidates who file a declaration of candidacy and return the number of required petition signatures on the first day,
December 9, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. (115.127 (5) RSMo). The names of candidates filing after December 9, 2025 will be listed on the ballot in the order in which they file a declaration of candidacy form and return the number of required petition signatures to the Board Secretary and as described in the District Policy (G-235-P).
Filing will not occur on holidays when Central Office is closed which are as follows: The office will be closed Wednesday, December 24, 2025 through Monday, December 29, 2025. Days that the School District Offices are closed due to inclement weather.
There are two (2) six-year term Board Member positions available.
Cammie Smith
District Administrative Assistant to the Interim Superintendent
School Board Secretary
Independence School District- 816-521-5300