JEFFERSON CITY — Lawmakers often toss out big numbers when auditioning their proposals in committee: Hundreds of people will be affected by one bill, they'll say, while millions of dollars will be saved by another.

A bill filed by Rep. Jay Houghton, R-Martinsburg, bucks that trend. There appears to be no state money at stake, and though Houghton cautions that more could be subject to the proposal in the future, only one person in the state seems likely to be affected directly.

That's Pete Nasir, superintendent of the Wellsville-Middletown School District and a member of the Van-Far School Board. Nasir told the News-Leader he's been holding those positions since 2005 and 2006, respectively, and jokingly referred to the legislation as the "Pete Nasir Memorial Bill."

Houghton's bill would prohibit school superintendents from being candidates for any Missouri school board. If it's passed, Nasir wouldn't be able to run in 2018 for his Van-Far position.

The Martinsburg Republican said multiple constituents have raised concerns that Nasir's double duty presented a conflict of interest.

Nasir, of Vandalia, doesn't believe a conflict of interest exists. "There's very little official contact between the two schools."

He said his inquiries to Houghton's office have gone unanswered. He points out that he is paid only by the Wellsville school district and wasn't sure how his situation would be any different from other school board members with full-time jobs. He also says his experience as a superintendent has helped him with board member tasks like approving budgets.

"School finances is a byzantine operation to say the least," Nasir said.

He and Houghton agree that they have come into conflict in the past, such as Nasir's opposition to a Houghton bill last year that would have prevented school districts from starting class before Sept. 1.

"I'm not insinuating that this is to get back at me or anything," said Nasir, who likened the bill to swatting a gnat with a hammer. "But if it were, it's not really going to change any of that, because most of my concerns have been based on my job as a superintendent as opposed to a board member."

Nasir said he had previously considered not running and had only thrown his name back in the hat because no other challengers had appeared when he was up for re-election. He added that if a suitable candidate emerged, he might not run.

The bill was one of several heard Monday by the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education.

"I respect his commitment to the kids, but I also see it as a conflict of interest," Houghton said.

There was not a unanimous consensus on the committee as to whether situations such as Nasir constituted a conflict of interest.

Rep. Jay Barnes, a committee member and a Jefferson City Republican, likened the situation to serving as the governor of Missouri and a member of Illinois' legislature, and he called out Scott Kimble of the Missouri School Administrators Coalition for not testifying in opposition to the bill.

"So we're throwing one of your members under the bus, and you're not going to oppose it?" Barnes asked Kimble when the latter testified for informational purposes.

"We're not throwing him under the bus," said Kimble, who questioned whether the legislature would pass a law applying to a single person. "We were hoping to be able to resolve the issue with Rep. Houghton moving forward."

Barnes acknowledged that this situation was "not a pure conflict of interest."

David Luther, a spokesman for the Missouri Association of School Administrators, could not say whether there was another confirmed example of a person serving as a superintendent and a board member.

"We feel that just because you're a school superintendent, it does not mean that your rights to run for office and serve your community should be stripped," Luther said in an email. "In a case like this, it is ultimately up to the voters of the school district to determine who they feel is best qualified to represent them."

For now, Nasir said he remains occupied with the day-to-day requirements of being a superintendent. For instance, Wellsville is temporarily down a bus driver, and since Nasir has the appropriate license, he said he'll be driving a bus for the time being.

Read or Share this story: