Candidates for Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Board of Trustees are divided on whether the community is spending too much on the college, overburdening taxpayers.
And they differ on how often the Board of Trustees is appropriately transparent with the public.
Candidates also weighed in on how the college should handle recent federal changes that made certain categories of immigrants — including some with permission to be in the country — ineligible for adult education programs such as low-cost GED and English classes. Neighboring Johnson County Community College moved quickly to restrict those students.
Voters will see seven candidates on their ballot during the Nov. 4 election.
Incumbents Linda Hoskins Sutton and Brad Isnard and challengers Joe Caiharr and Geoffrey Kump are competing for three at-large seats, and each winner would serve a full four-year term.
Incumbent Mary Ricketts, who was appointed to the board in 2024, also must win voter approval to finish out the final two years of her term. She faces two challengers, Jammie Johnson and Alex Sanchez.
All of the candidates except Ricketts responded to a survey from The Beacon asking candidates about their positions on issues such as spending and transparency and their ideas to improve the college.
Here’s what they had to say. Responses have been edited for grammar, clarity and AP style. One of Johnson’s responses was edited for length.
Click the links to jump to a question or topic:
- Community college spending
- Immigrant students
- Transparency
- Community and industry connections
- What are the three biggest challenges the community college is facing?
- Name up to three specific things you would do on the board to address the most important issues facing the college.
- Where do you see room for improvement in making the college more accessible and affordable to a broad range of students?
Meet the candidates
At-large
Joe Caiharr
Occupation and employer: Police officer
Background and qualifications
If you were to take a class at your local community college next semester, what would it be? Welding safety and OSHA
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-Caiharr-for-KCKCC/61580409607601/
Linda Hoskins Sutton
Occupation and employer: Kansas City Kansas Community College retiree
Background and qualifications: I retired from Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2014 with 30 years of service. Running for the Board of Trustees was not in my plans, but here I am serving the community at the next level.
If you were to take a class at your local community college next semester, what would it be? Conversational Spanish and Microsoft 365 to stay current on all the changes.
Social media: All my information is included on my Facebook page: Linda Hoskins Sutton.
Brad Isnard
Occupation and employer: Executive director of finance, Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools
Background and qualifications: I hold a B.S. in business and an MBA and have almost a decade of experience working in education finance here in KCK. That background has been invaluable during my four years on the board, including one year as vice chair and the last two as chair.
If you were to take a class at your local community college next semester, what would it be? I would love to take a course in the automation engineer technology program. The labs are amazing.
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550053600526
Geoffrey Kump
Occupation and employer: Attorney with SelectQuote
Background and qualifications: I am currently the chairman of the board for Bishop Ward High School. While not the same level of education, I do believe there are valuable applications of certain methods that would apply to KCKCC.
If you were to take a class at your local community college next semester, what would it be? HIST-0106 Black History — I am a huge history buff.
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/electgeoffreykump
Two-year term
Jammie A. Johnson
Occupation and employer: Graduate program coordinator at the University of Kansas
Background and qualifications: Past positions include resident director, student activities director and talent pool coordinator. I hold an M.S. in student personnel administration from the University of Central Missouri and a B.A. in communication theory and human relations from Park University.
If you were to take a class at your local community college next semester, what would it be? Political science or American government.
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/jammie4kckcc
Mary T. Ricketts (incumbent)
Ricketts did not respond to repeated emails asking her to complete the questionnaire or to messages on Facebook and LinkedIn. She also does not appear to have an active campaign website or social media.
She has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2024, when she was appointed to fill a vacancy. The KCKCC website lists her as vice chair of the board, chair of its community engagement committee and a member of its policy committee.
According to her LinkedIn, she is the CEO of Turning Point Training and Development. In a post about her candidacy on Facebook she wrote: “For me, leadership means collaborating and communicating — even when we disagree — so we can make the best decisions for those we serve.”
Alex Sanchez
Occupation and employer: Programmer
If you were to take a class at your local community college next semester, what would it be? Object orientated program using Java.
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580614389769
Multiple-choice questions
Community college spending
In my county…
- We’re spending too little on the community college, at the expense of students.
- We’re spending too much on the community college, at the expense of taxpayers.
- We’ve struck a good balance on taxes and community college spending.
Caiharr: Currently most residents are paying 16% of their overall tax bill to the community college. Several residents are being forced to move out of their homes due to the totality of the tax bill.
Sutton: The college should not build a new facility in Leavenworth County (Lansing, Kansas) at the expense of Wyandotte County.
Isnard: I have done everything in my power to balance the needs of our students and workforce with the concerns of the community around property taxes. I’ve fought to trim budgets and taxes wherever possible.
Kump: While the mill had to increase slightly, I do believe there is a balance of outside funding and donations. For example, the downtown campus being paid nearly entirely by donations shows that alternative funding sources are reasonably possible.
Sanchez: There needs to be an appropriate balance based on economic conditions. Currently our residents are being taxed out of their homes and need multiple income sources just to put food on the table, pay rent or make mortgage payments.
Immigrant students
Federal changes have reduced eligibility for public benefits for some categories of immigrants, which may affect access to certain community college programs. I’d advocate that we…
- Move quickly to restrict students that we believe aren’t eligible from enrolling.
- Keep eligibility requirements the same for as long as possible.
- Other (please explain).
Caiharr: College is very expensive for students who have student visas. I believe we should reward the students who are working hard legally.
Sutton: Community colleges are the bedrock of higher education, making it accessible to anyone who would otherwise not have the opportunity to attend college.
Isnard: While this issue is largely out of local control, I believe KCKCC must stay committed to serving all members of our community while complying with the law. Education is the first step toward opportunity, stability and contribution for all.
Kump: I would keep eligibility the same as long as possible, with the addition of finding unique ways to create eligibility for those students where legal and possible. We need to find ways to better protect our immigrant and diverse community smartly.
Johnson: Maintain current eligibility requirements for as long as possible and explore additional ways to support immigrants in preparing for potential changes.
Sanchez: Best practices should always fall in line with the law of land.
Transparency
I believe the board of trustees is appropriately transparent with the public…
- All of the time.
- Most of the time, but I have occasional concerns.
- Some of the time, but I often have concerns.
- Rarely. I have many concerns.
Caiharr: The public desires to be informed or have access to what tax money is being spent on.
Kump: Unless prohibited by some legal obligations of confidentiality or statute. Transparency is key, I want our community to trust the college and feel empowered to invest in it!
Sanchez: Meetings should be later in the evening. Many people cannot attend in person or online because they are still on their way home from work.
Community and industry connections
The college adapts to community needs and works well with local businesses…
- Nearly all of the time.
- Most of the time, but I see some areas for improvement.
- Some of the time, but I see many areas that need improvement.
- Hardly ever.
Sutton: The college is very responsive to working with local businesses. I would like to see more people in the community getting trained for better jobs.
Isnard: This has been a major focus for my first term. We’ve built amazing partnerships with local businesses and tailored educational programming to fit their unique needs. New employers now routinely reach out to KCKCC before they commit to relocate here.
Kump: I would like to see more of an emphasis on college-to-work pipelines. While there are many amazing programs that offer that, I want to expand that into more trades and other opportunities.
Short answer questions
What are the three biggest challenges the community college is facing?
Caiharr: Enrollment, cost to taxpayers, aging buildings.
Sutton: 1. New downtown location up and running and sustainable. 2. Federal and state funding cuts. 3. Enrollment.
Isnard: 1. Funding volatility at the federal level. 2. Balancing employee engagement and retention with student needs for flexible schedules. 3. Aligning to workforce needs and maintaining credential relevance in a rapidly changing environment.
Kump: 1. Infrastructure and growth: Many of the main campus buildings are in need of major upgrades. 2. Student engagement: The students must be empowered and feel like they have a voice. 3. Alternative funding: Exploring alternative funding sources to alleviate some of the tax burden on WYCO residents.
Johnson: I believe the biggest challenges for KCKCC are the decline in enrollment; recruitment and retention of diverse students, faculty and staff; and community perception.
Sanchez: Declining enrollment, keeping focus on KCKCC, operating with fiscal restraint.
Name up to three specific things you would do on the board to address the most important issues facing the college.
Caiharr: Find places to reduce the budget, reduce the number of buildings we own and find a way to partner with businesses at their cost.
Sutton: 1. Be strategic with all resources. 2. Look for grant opportunities. Do not build any new buildings. 3. The college is making a good enrollment recovery after COVID-19 but should explore possible unserved/underserved populations.
Isnard: I’ll continue to advocate with our senators and representatives in Washington for stable funding. Support flexible staffing that balances employee and student needs. Ensure programs adapt quickly to workforce trends so credentials stay relevant and graduates succeed.
Kump: 1. I would look to have Leavenworth County pay their fair share as a services county of KCKCC. 2. Line item budget review to ensure all departments’ budgets are appropriate and look to reduce waste. 3. Bring other taxing entities like the Unified Government together to discuss joint initiatives
Johnson: 1. Support a “Finish Your Degree” campaign to reengage students who have stopped. 2. Advocate for a campuswide retreat involving students, faculty and staff to assess current DEI initiatives, measure their impact and develop strategies for improvement. 3. Engage the community to share what is happening at KCKCC and open lines of communication.
Sanchez: Increase enrollment at KCKCC, stop overtaxing people, promote and expand online education.
Where do you see room for improvement in making the college more accessible and affordable to a broad range of students?
Caiharr: I think the college is already excelling in this area.
Sutton: The college does a good job in making the college accessible and affordable with a low tuition rate. The improvement would be in more support services for students so that they don’t fall through any cracks. Student retention and a sense of belonging is important.
Isnard: KCKCC can become even more accessible and affordable by expanding high school partnerships and dual-credit programs, streamlining financial aid and offering more flexible course options including evenings, weekends and online. These steps open doors for working adults and families.
Kump: We must increase the accessibility to students in trades and those looking to join unions so there is a better pipeline for students not looking to simply go to a four-year afterwards.
Johnson: I think fundraising efforts by the foundation can be improved as well as marketing and recruitment efforts.
Sanchez: I believe that an increased presence at the middle school and high school level would go a long way toward increasing enrollment. As far as affordability is concerned, it will always be an issue as long as people continue to see tax increases every year with no relief in sight.
