Legislators look at elections for West Virginia school board

There are 12 members of the state board, nine of whom are appointed by the governor. They serve nine-year terms. The remaining three members have non-voting roles and serve through their jobs in state education — the state school superintendent, the chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission and the chancellor for the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education.

Senate Bill 20 — introduced by Sens. Mark Maynard, R-Wayne, and Sue Cline, R-Wyoming — calls for the election of the nine members currently appointed by the governor to shorter, four-year terms. Three candidates would be elected from each of West Virginia’s three congressional districts, according to the legislation.