The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Board of Directors authorized a Special Ballot this fall during its regularly scheduled meeting on Sept. 17.
MSHSAA member schools will vote on a proposal to expand the Board from 10 to 11 members by increasing the number of At-Large positions from two to three. The eight elected positions representing MSHSAA’s eight Board Districts would remain unchanged.
Under the proposal, candidates for At-Large positions may be nominated or self-nominated. The Board would review eligible nominees and appoint At-Large members during its annual April meeting.
The At-Large positions are designed to provide broad representation across MSHSAA’s membership. When making appointments, the Board would consider factors including professional role, school size and classifications, community type, public and nonpublic schools, and each nominee’s qualifications and experience. The Board’s makeup would include at least one superintendent, one principal and one athletic or activities director. If, following the election process, one or more of these position groups would not be represented on the incoming Board, available At-Large appointment(s) shall be used to provide such representation.
At-Large members would generally serve four-year terms and, like elected Board members, would be limited to two consecutive four-year terms.
“Our Board has courageously led this Association toward an improvement in the representative governance of our member schools,” MSHSAA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad said. “They have invested a great deal of thought and consideration to get us to this point, and they should be commended. I look forward to the vote of our membership.”
Additional information regarding the Special Ballot and voting process will be shared with MSHSAA member schools later this fall.