JEFFERSON CITY—Governor Nixon signed into law today legislation filed by Sen. Paul LeVota, D-Independence, to lower the number of members on the Kansas City School Board and move the election date of board members to match local municipal elections.

Under Senate Bill 258 , the Kansas City School District Board will be reduced from nine members to seven, with two-at large and the remaining five elected from subdistricts, to be redrawn by the local redistricting commission by Nov. 1, 2018.

“The KC school district is considerably smaller than it was just 10 years ago, by nearly half according to some estimates,” said LeVota. “There’s no need for a nine-member school board, especially when many members are elected in unopposed races, if anyone runs at all. Reducing the board will make it consistent with the majority of other school boards in the state.”

The bill also moves the date for the election of school board members to coincide with local municipal elections beginning in 2019, a move LeVota says will increase voter turnout, which has been consistently low in school board elections in recent years.

“The problems faced by the KC school district can’t be fixed by any one measure. It’s going to take a concerted effort by the Legislature, the school board, and, most importantly, the citizens of Kansas City,” said LeVota. “We need voters to be directly engaged with electing their school board. We need them to follow the candidates and elect members interested in implementing real progress. I am proud that this important piece of legislation for our future has become law.”

Having received the governor’s signature, the bill will become law on Aug. 28.