Nine days into the qualifying period for an elected Columbus Municipal School District board seat, there’s still nobody running.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no one has even picked up paperwork at the Lowndes County Circuit Clerk’s Office, Deputy Clerk Ann Marie Higgins told The Dispatch.
Qualifying began July 22 and runs through 5 p.m. Aug. 21. The election is Nov. 4.
To qualify, a candidate must have resided in the school district’s added territory – the portion of the school district that lies outside the city limits – for at least two years prior to the election and must hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. A candidate must also submit an affidavit with signatures from at least 50 qualified electors living in the added territory.
Qualifying paperwork is available to pick up at the circuit clerk’s office or online at the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website.
CMSD’s Board of Trustees has historically been composed of five members appointed by the Columbus City Council on rotating five-year terms. Per state law, if at least 15% of a district’s enrolled students live in the added territory or “separate school district,” one seat must be converted to an elected position selected by separate school district voters.
In August 2024, Board Attorney Chris Hemphill reported roughly 19% of CMSD’s students live in the added territory, prompting trustees to call for the November election.
The elected board member, who will also serve a five-year term, will take office Jan. 1, 2026 and replace Josie Shumake since her term is next in line to expire. Shumake does not live in the added territory, so she cannot run for the elected seat.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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