Senator Nicola urges shortening Independence school board terms; amendment would excuse students accompanying parents to vote

Senator Joe Nicola (11th Senatorial District) introduced Senate Bill 13 51 (SB 1351), saying the Independence school district is the only district that retains six-year school board terms and that the bill would shorten those terms to three years to match other districts.

Nicola described and accepted an amendment offered on the Senate floor by Senator Washington that would create a policy excusing a student from school for the time the student accompanies a parent exercising the right to vote in a scheduled election, limited to once per scheduled election. Nicola said the change is designed to improve accountability and encourage civic engagement.

Committee members asked questions about the bill's scope and the amendment. Representative Walsh Moore confirmed with Nicola that 'Independence' refers to the school district; Nicola said current board members would not be affected and that some local administrators and board members support the change. Members sought clarification about whether the excused absence applied to an entire school day and whether it could be used across multiple elections; Nicola said the absence would apply for the election day and the provision allows one excused absence per scheduled election.

Representative Wolfen asked whether the six-year term is grounded in statute or local practice and whether combining the term-length change with the excused-absence amendment created a multi-subject problem; Nicola said he researched the issue, accepted the amendment and did not believe a title change was necessary. Later testimony from Otto Fajan, representing the Missouri NEA, traced the statutory history: urban district provisions once gave some large districts longer terms, and the six-year provision now applies only to Independence. Fajan and the union expressed support, saying longer terms can discourage potential candidates and that the amendment encourages civic participation.

The Committee heard testimony in favor from Otto Fajan of the Missouri NEA, who urged the committee to move favorably on the bill and explained the historical reasons for the statute's unusual language. No formal committee vote on SB 1351 was recorded in the transcript; the hearing concluded and the Committee adjourned.