Six candidates, including two incumbents, will appear on the ballot for voters in the Spring Hill school district.
The district covers parts of Johnson and Miami counties, including Spring Hill and parts of Olathe and Overland Park.
For the Member 4 position, incumbent Nicole Melius faces challenger Autumn Coleman-Marconett. Chris Olsen and Steve Miller, who would both be newcomers to the role, are vying for the Member 5 position. And for the Member 6 position, incumbent Keith Ewing faces challenger Ted Beauchamp.
Coleman-Marconett was the only candidate who responded to a questionnaire from The Beacon about her positions on various issues and what she believes are the biggest challenges facing the district. Responses have been edited for grammar, clarity and AP style.
We also collected information on the other candidates from publicly available sources. Here’s what to know before you head to the polls.
Meet the candidates
Member 4
Autumn Coleman-Marconett
Occupation: Grants administrator, University of Kansas Medical Center
Background and qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, MBA, pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education. Published memoir author. Born in Nanjing, China — adopted in the late ‘90s. Eight-year Marine Corps veteran, wife to an Army veteran, and mother to two, soon to be three, children.
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/share/1UeMvV7NED/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Favorite school event: I am currently the PTO treasurer for my child’s elementary school, volunteering at all events.
Nicole Melius (incumbent)
Melius told The Beacon she wouldn’t have time to complete the questionnaire. According to her school board bio, she has been a board member since 2022.
According to her campaign Facebook page, Melius has a background in finance, which she said could be an asset to the board as the district’s population continues to grow. When she ran for office in 2021, she emphasized keeping schools open and making masks optional. She said she believes health decisions, such as vaccines, “should be a personal choice.”
Also on Facebook, Melius said she wanted to “stay on top of” the district’s policies on diversity, equity and inclusion and “set very clear expectations and consequences if unapproved curriculum is being taught or distributed.” She said some topics “are private and should be the responsibility of the parents to discuss and teach to their own children.” Melius touts “strong conservative family values” and supports Spring Hill’s vision to “maintain small town values.”
Melius said during a Johnson County Post candidate forum that she has four children, three of whom are still in the district. She thinks the biggest challenge Spring Hill faces is making sure there are programs to help all students succeed after high school through a variety of pathways. In response to a question about students using preferred pronouns in school, she replied, “mixed pronouns do not belong in school. We need to focus on education.”
Member 5
Chris Olsen
Olsen acknowledged receiving the questionnaire and said he planned to work on it but did not submit it by the time of publication. The Beacon could not find a campaign website or social media account for him, but he did participate in a Johnson County Post candidate forum.
During that forum, Olsen said he has three children in the district. He was a news reporter for a decade, formerly ran a digital media company and now does digital media work for the district. Olsen said one of Spring Hill’s biggest challenges is preparing kids for the future, such as by emphasizing career and technical education and “using technology to its fullest advantage.” Asked about policies for students using preferred pronouns, he said those decisions need to “go right back to the family.”
Steve Miller
Steve Miller told The Beacon he was choosing not to complete the questionnaire.
During a Johnson County Post candidate forum, he described himself as a former high school special education teacher with five children in the district. He said the biggest challenge facing Spring Hill is preparing students for life after school, including those who aren’t college bound, and continuing to provide strong education as the district grows. Asked about students using preferred pronouns, he replied, “I can’t for the life of me figure out how we create a safe environment where we’re not acknowledging students as they wish to be acknowledged.”
Miller’s campaign website says he will “advocate for educational excellence and innovation,” ensure the voices of families and children are heard, and unite everyone “toward a shared vision of opportunity, equity, and growth.”
Miller is included on the Johnson County Democrats’ list of 2025 candidates.
Member 6
Keith Ewing (incumbent)
Ewing told The Beacon he isn’t filling out questionnaires. He is a current board member and did not appear to have an active campaign website or social media account.
During a Johnson County Post candidate forum, Ewing said he is a district graduate whose parents and four children also graduated from the district. He said a major focus of his time on the board has been career and technical education, and that he’s running again because he thinks there’s more progress to be made in that area. He said one of the biggest challenges Spring Hill faces is funding. He’d like to be able to afford more academic interventionists and meet the specific needs of various schools. Asked about policies on using students’ preferred pronouns, he replied, “I believe pronouns are assigned at birth.”
Ewing is the only Spring Hill school board candidate for any of the positions listed on the Johnson County Republicans’ list of 2025 candidates.
Ted Beauchamp
Beauchamp said he decided not to complete the questionnaire because the questions “are not a good representation of the role of a Kansas school board member nor do they allow enough room to discuss the nuance of some of them.”
On his campaign website, Beauchamp said his priorities include increasing opportunities to earn college credit through Johnson County Community College and using the new career and technical education facility as an opportunity to strengthen relationships with industry partners. He wants to engage with the state legislature to reduce the district’s reliance on property taxes, secure adequate funding and “ensure the state contributes more to the cost of new buildings and expansions.” He also wants to partner with local city leaders and address disparities between older and newer schools. One specific project he’d like to prioritize is creating a sidewalk from Spring Hill Middle School to The Village.
Beauchamp’s career is in industrial automation and he has a particular interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). He has four children in the school district, co-chaired a committee to promote the district’s recent successful bond issue and has been a member of the Spring Hill Middle School Site Council.
During a Johnson County Post candidate forum, Beauchamp said the biggest issue the district faces is funding, especially as it grows and works on expanding career and technical education opportunities. Asked about students’ pronoun usage he replied, “as they prefer.”
Beauchamp is included on the Johnson County Democrats’ list of 2025 candidates.
Multiple-choice questions
School spending
In my district…
- We’re spending too little on schools, at the expense of students.
- We’re spending too much on schools, at the expense of taxpayers.
- We’ve struck the right balance on taxes and school spending.
Coleman-Marconett: It’s not exactly balanced, but I believe the district is doing the best with what they are given. However, I believe that there is still more that can be done and approaches/avenues we have not ventured.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in schools
If Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials show up at a school, my district should…
- Cooperate as much as possible without getting into legal trouble.
- Cooperate as little as possible without getting into legal trouble.
- Other (please explain)
Coleman-Marconett: We don’t owe anything to ICE legally. So no one (including ICE) can go beyond the school front doors without prior approval.
Teacher pay
Teachers in my district…
- Need a significant pay raise.
- Are paid too much already.
- Are making about the right amount.
Coleman-Marconett: Teachers who create the future leaders, doctors, lawyers, parents, etc. get paid the lowest along with those who protect and those who heal.
Vaccination policies
My school district…
- Is strict about students receiving required vaccines, and should stay that way.
- Is strict about students receiving required vaccines, and should be more flexible.
- Is flexible about students receiving required vaccines, and should be more strict.
- Is flexible about students receiving required vaccines, and should stay that way.
- I don’t know my school district’s vaccine policies.
Coleman-Marconett: I don’t believe that it should be more relaxed. I feel as though we should continue to enforce the policies and procedures required by the state and accept vaccine exemptions per medical professionals and per state regulations.
Transgender students
If a student under 18 years old requests that a teacher call them by a name and/or pronouns that don’t correspond to their gender assigned at birth, the teacher should:
- Always agree.
- Agree only with parental permission.
- Never agree.
- Be free to decide whether to agree, based on personal beliefs.
Coleman-Marconett: Everyone has a right to go by what name they prefer. It’s not just those who have a “gender” reasoning. Everyone goes by their middle names or some form of their first name since they didn’t have a say when they were born.
Technology in school
My school district:
- Doesn’t do enough to prevent harmful and distracting uses of technology in school.
- Is too restrictive about how new technologies are used in school.
- Neither.
Coleman: I believe that we cannot restrict the future. But we can put in place policies and procedures to ensure enough time necessary to support student education and restrict from too much that would then harm their physical well-being.
Short answer questions
What are the three biggest challenges that your school district is facing?
Coleman-Marconett: Funding which is statewide due to policy changes higher up, curriculum changes that have questionable motives, and personal beliefs/propaganda are giving motive to high positions that are not following the original policies and purpose of their positions.
Name up to three specific things you would do on the board to address the most important issues facing the district.
Coleman-Marconett: Unique approaches to budgeting strategies and funding opportunities to maximize education. Resources/enhancing specials programs to ensure all are receiving the highest level of support. Improvements by partnering with local/state delegation and neighboring cities building the quality of education.
