Across Northern Kentucky, local voters hold the power to decide who sets the vision for their schools — electing nonpartisan board members who oversee budgets, policies and superintendents.
School board members are elected on a nonpartisan ballot in even-numbered years. Members serve four-year terms that are staggered so that no more than three members of a local board expire at the same time. Kentucky does not limit the number of terms a school board member may serve.
There are county and independent school boards of education. Independent school districts elect board members at large; county school districts elect board members from divisions, according to the Kentucky School Boards Association. Kentucky has 173 school districts, a mix of public and independent districts, each with its own board of education.
Former legislator and current public policy and political consultant Adam Keonig said a school board is like the district’s legislative body or the city council. They are also the superintendent’s boss, responsible for hiring, evaluating, and, if necessary, firing them.
“They create a budget, they set tax rates, and they set policy for the district, which starts with hiring a superintendent,” Keonig said. “It involves everything from making sure state laws are followed, setting general policy, buildings, whether it’s an addition on a school, a new school, obtaining trailers or new athletic fields. Making sure all the needs of the students and the community are met to provide good service.”
If someone lives in an independent school district, such as Newport, they vote for anyone running in that district. County-wide districts, such as Campbell County Public Schools, are divided into multiple districts to ensure representation from every part of the county. In that case, a resident must live in the district of the board member they vote for, and a candidate must live in the district they are representing.
Some of the qualifications a candidate must possess, according to the Kentucky School Boards Association, are as follows:
- Be at least 24 years old.
- Have been a citizen of Kentucky for at least three years preceding his/her election and be a voter of the district to which he/she is elected.
- Have completed at least the 12th grade, been issued a GED certificate, or been elected before July 14, 1990, with no lapse in service.
Most school board members in Kentucky receive a small per-meeting stipend and reimbursement for expenses, but it’s not a salaried position.
Keonig said that a lot of times, the people who run for the board of education are citizens who feel strongly about something going on.
“A lot of times it’s just individuals who you know feel called to serve,” Keonig said. “It is probably one of the toughest elected jobs.”
