Winchester School Board Puts Election Change Before Voters

WINCHESTER — Voters in the Winchester school district will decide this November whether to change how members of the local school board are elected.

The Winchester school board has approved placing a referendum on the ballot that would shift board elections from the current municipality-based structure to an at-large system districtwide. Under the existing setup, certain seats are effectively tied to specific communities within the district, including Winchester, Manchester, and Alsey, which limits who can run for those positions.

District officials say that system has contributed to recruitment problems. Superintendent Jeff Abell says the current structure narrowed the pool of eligible candidates and helped create a situation where the board could not fill all available seats through election. After the April 2025 school election, three board seats remained vacant because not enough eligible candidates filed. Those seats were later filled through board appointments.

Supporters of the proposed change say an at-large election system would allow any eligible resident living within district boundaries to run for any open seat, increasing flexibility and potentially preventing future vacancies.

The referendum will appear on the November ballot through the Scott County Clerk’s Office. If voters approve the measure, the district would begin transitioning to the new election structure before the next school board election. If voters reject it, the current municipality-based system will remain in place.