No more slumber parties? Joplin R-8 to consider policy change

Anyone who has read this blog the last couple of years or who read my book Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud knows that the term slumber party does not refer to girls having a get-together, but to the events that occurred the first day of filing for Board of Education seats for the April 2014 election.

According to current board policy, on the first day of filing, a line should form outside of the office at the administration building with the first one to arrive receiving the top position on the ballot.

Two years ago, the rules were bent and twisted out of shape when former Board President Jeff Flowers used his access to the Administration Building to allow himself and favored candidates, including Shawn McGrew and Randy Steele to wait inside, staying comfortable and using the district's wi-fi and other amenities while waiting for morning.

It was referred to on this blog as a "slumber party" and was the first of many actions taken by the C. J. Huff Administration during the 2014 election to game the system to elect the candidates Huff wanted.

After the negative publicity from the slumber party, no such effort was made for the 2015 election.

If the Joplin R-8 Board of Education adopts a new policy that has been proposed and will be presented to the board at a work session 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Memorial Administration Building, the slumber party days are over.

The new policy would call for a random drawing among candidates who file on the first day. After that, candidates will be listed on the ballot in the order of their filing.

The proposed policy also incorporates a state law passed in 2014 which allows a personal representative to stand in for active members of the Armed Services or for those who have physical disabilities. Those candidates would still have to mail in their paperwork by the filing deadline.