Three candidates are running for two-seats on the Joplin school board Tuesday, April 6. K R P S’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

Rylee Hartwell, John Hird, and Josh Bard are running to fill two seats on the school board. Bard previously won a seat on the city council nearly 3-years ago but was forced to step down because of a felony conviction that disqualified him from serving. He ran for city council again in 2020, but newcomer Christina Williams defeated him. If elected next month to the Joplin school board, Bard says he would like more continuity between district administration and schools. “A lot of the schools on the same page in certain areas. They all seem to operate a little different. As far as a base foundation, we should probably implement some areas, some policies that all, all school districts, all the schools in the district, fall under.” Municipal elections such as school board, city, and county elections in Missouri occur on Tuesday, April 6.