The votes are in for Kansas City-area school board elections.
On Nov 4, voters in most Johnson County and Wyandotte County school districts headed to the polls to choose their school board members for the next four years. Voters in both counties’ community college systems also elected members to the board of trustees.
The Beacon tracked eight of those elections this year, asking candidates to answer questions about their positions and priorities.
Meanwhile, in Missouri, Independence School District voters were asked whether the district should continue with the four-day school week schedule or revert to the more common five-day week.
With more than 60% in favor, voters allowed Independence schools to continue with the four-day schedule.
The district originally switched schedules in fall 2023, becoming by far the largest district in the state to do so. The Missouri General Assembly then passed a bill targeting Independence — though it applies to some other districts as well — that required it to put the schedule to a vote if it wanted to maintain it.
Read ahead to see what else voters decided, according to preliminary results from Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and the Jackson County and Kansas City election boards in Missouri.
Click the links to jump ahead:
Wyandotte County
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools elects candidates at-large, meaning they could come from anywhere within the school district and are selected by all local voters. This year, six candidates competed for the open spots with the three highest vote getters making it onto the board.
The winning candidates were:
- Wanda Brownlee Paige
- Joycelyn Strickland-Egans
- Pamela Penn-Hicks
Paige is a current school board member and retired teacher. Strickland-Egans is a longtime educator. Penn-Hicks is a retired federal employee and community advocate.
Read more about all of the candidates here.
Kansas City Kansas Community College Board of Trustees
Four candidates competed for three spots on the Kansas City Kansas Community College Board of Trustees. Each of the winners will serve a full four-year term. Another three competed to finish the final two years of a term because the position is currently held by an appointee.
The winning candidates for a full four-year term were:
- Linda Hoskins Sutton
- Geoffrey Kump
- Joe Caiharr
Sutton is retired from KCKCC and does not want the college to construct new buildings. Kump is an attorney and chairman of the board for Bishop Ward High School. Caiharr is a police officer who wants to reduce spending to give relief to taxpayers.
Alex Sanchez appears to have won a close race for a partial term on the KCKCC Board of Trustees. Sanchez is a programmer and is concerned about overtaxing residents.
Read more about all of the candidates here.
Johnson County
Olathe Public Schools
The Olathe school district holds separate contests for each position on the board. Candidates must come from specific subdistricts for each position up for election this year, but all district residents can vote in each race during the general election.
For the Member 3 seat, incumbent Julie Steele defeated challenger Scott Enge, who told The Beacon he had decided to drop out of the race but still appeared on the ballot.
Steele is the current board vice president, a district parent and small-business owner.
Current board member Robert Kuhn, a production manager at Mad City Windows and Bath, ran unopposed for the Member 5 seat. About 3% of votes cast in the race went to write-in candidates.
Current board member Becky Johann, a clinical director at the University of Kansas Health System-Olathe Campus, ran unopposed for the Member 6 seat. About 3% of votes cast in the race went to write-in candidates.
Read more about all of the candidates here.
Blue Valley Schools
The Blue Valley school district holds separate contests for each position on the board. Candidates must come from specific subdistricts for each position up for election this year, but all district residents can vote in each race during the general election. Most of the district is in Johnson County but a small part is in Miami County.
Current board member Sonya Evans, an education and business strategy consultant, ran unopposed for the Member 4 seat. About 5% of votes cast in the race went to write-in candidates.
Incumbent Gina Knapp, chief financial officer for the YMCA of Great Kansas City, won the Member 5 seat, defeating challenger Steve Roberts.
David Benson, the district’s former superintendent, won the Member 6 seat, defeating incumbent Jim McMullen.
Read more about all of the candidates here.
De Soto (USD 232)
The De Soto school district holds separate contests for each position on the board. Candidates must come from specific subdistricts for each position up for election this year, but all district residents can vote in each race during the general election.
For the Member 4 position, Lucy Rumsey DeWitt, a homemaker with a child in the district, faced off against Nancy Moneymaker, a former educator and small-business owner. DeWitt won with about 59% of the vote.
For the Member 5 position, Calley Malloy, a current board member and district parent with a background in health care, faced Christian Amend, a professional engineer who owns an inspection company. Malloy won with more than 63% of the vote.
For the Member 6 position, Brandi Jonassen, a current board member who owns a digital marketing company, faced TJ Finan, who has worked in education for 13 years. Jonassen won with more than 58% of the vote.
Read more about all of the candidates here.
Gardner Edgerton School District 231 board
The Gardner Edgerton School District holds separate contests for each position on the board. Candidates must come from specific subdistricts for each position up for election this year, but all district residents can vote in each race during the general election. Most of the district is in Johnson County but a small part is in Miami County.
This year, five candidates filed to run for full four-year terms on the board while another three competed for a partial term, replacing an appointee who is not running for reelection.
For a partial term in the Member 1 position, Julie Aldridge won, defeating Melissa Hershey and Matthew Harlow. Aldridge is a substitute teacher for Olathe schools with a master’s degree in special education.
For the Member 4 position Lana Sutton, a current board member who works for Commerce Bank, appeared to narrowly defeat challenger Sam Dominguez with about 50.5% of the vote.
Current board President Tom Reddin ran unopposed for the Member 5 seat. Reddin was part of a wave of conservative members who were voted onto the board in 2021. About 5% of votes cast in the race went to write-in candidates.
For the Member 6 seat, Greg Chapman, a current board member who works in manufacturing, faced Keith Davenport, a small-business owner and parent. Unofficial results showed Davenport ahead of Chapman by just 4 votes. Candidates are allowed to request a recount.
Davenport previously told The Beacon he no longer lives within the correct area for the Member 6 seat but still resides within the district.
“I am still seeking votes. If I win the election, I will remove the incumbent from office,” he wrote. “There is some question on whether or not I will be allowed to serve.”
Read more about all of the candidates here.
Spring Hill Schools (USD 230) board
The Spring Hill school district holds separate contests for each position on the board. Candidates must come from specific subdistricts for each position up for election this year, but all district residents can vote in each race during the general election. Most of the district is in Johnson County but a small part is in Miami County.
This year, six candidates filed to run for three open spots on the board.
For the Member 4 position, Autumn Coleman-Marconett, a parent who works for the University of Kansas Health System, narrowly defeated incumbent Nicole Melius with a bit more than 51% of the vote.
For the Member 5 position, Steve Miller, a former high school special education teacher with five children defeated Chris Olsen with about 53% of the vote.
For the Member 6 position, Ted Beauchamp, a parent of four district children who works in industrial automation, defeated incumbent Keith Ewing with about 52% of the vote.
Read more about all of the candidates here.
Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees
Johnson County Community College elects trustees at-large, meaning they don’t have to come from specific subregions and are selected by all local voters. This year, eight candidates competed for the open spots with the four highest vote getters making it onto the board.
The winning candidates were all included on the county Democratic party’s list of candidates, while the losing candidates were included on a similar list from the county Republican party.
The winning candidates were:
- Dawn Rattan
- Lee Cross
- Chad Carroll
- Geoff Holton
Rattan is an incumbent trustee and business owner. Cross is an incumbent trustee and an attorney. Carroll works in the financial industry, Holton is president of Sassafras Marketing.
Read more about all of the candidates here.
Jackson County, Missouri
Independence School District four-day school week schedule
Independence School District voters chose to approve the district’s four-day school week for the next 10 years. That means the district can continue with the schedule, which it implemented to improve teacher retention.
Proponents see the schedule as a way to attract and keep more experienced teachers without harming academic achievement, while opponents say it’s hard on some families, including those who struggle to afford child care on Mondays.
