Voters turned out in large numbers for a spring election on Tuesday, soundly rejecting a proposal to extend a Jackson County sales tax to pay for a downtown Royals stadium and sorting out the makeup of school boards across the metro. Stadium tax Jackson County’s Question 1 failed by a vote of roughly 42% to […]
Maria Benevento
Maria Benevento is The Beacon’s education reporter. She joined The Beacon as a Report for America corps member. In addition to her work at The Beacon, she’s reported for the National Catholic Reporter, Columbia Missourian and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Her education reporting began in 2017, and she became a full-time Kansas City education reporter with The Beacon in mid-2021. She graduated from Creighton University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in theology and American studies. In 2021, she graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a master's degree in journalism. She’s lived in Missouri most of her life and first moved to Kansas City in 2017.
Posted inEducation, Elections
April 2 election could change the Independence school board’s relationship with its superintendent
the differing ways candidates talk about the four-day week showcases a struggle for the future of a board that has reliably backed Superintendent Dale Herl’s recommendations, prided itself on its unity and put limits on public participation.
Posted inEducation, Elections
Lee’s Summit school board election 2024: Two of these candidates will shape the direction of the district
The school board previously struggled to agree on how to best proceed with diversity training and an equity plan to close achievement gaps for students of color.
Posted inEducation, Elections
Seven candidates compete for three spots on the Independence school board
Seven candidates are competing for three seats on the Independence school board. Board members serve six-year terms, twice as long as those in many area districts.
Posted inEducation, Elections
Your voter guide to the 2024 Park Hill school board election
Candidates Harrison Todd, Sadie Peterson and incumbent Brandy Maltbia Woodley are competing for two open seats. They’ll appear on the April 2 ballot.
Posted inEducation, Elections
Hickman Mills school board candidates explain their background, priorities
Candidates running for a spot on the Hickman Mills Board of Education are vying to join a school board whose members have struggled to work together.
Posted inEducation, Elections
Meet your 2024 Liberty school board candidates
Voters will see Darren Siebert and incumbents Jeffrey “Drew” Marriott and Nicholaus “Nick” Bartlow on their April 2 ballot. Two out of three will earn spots on the school board.
Posted inEducation, Elections
Meet the 2024 school board candidates in the Center School District
All three Center school board candidates — Mariah Roady, Da’Jion Lymore and Michael Sarver — are newcomers competing for two open seats to serve a three-year term.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Education, Elections
These nine candidates want to be on the North Kansas City school board
All nine candidates responded to our questions about their background, priorities and positions. Here’s what they had to say.
Posted inEducation
One of the best things for a child traumatized by Kansas City’s mass shooting? Experts stress routine
Some children, the experts say, need to talk about their concerns. That, they say, needs to be balanced against dwelling too much on what happened or trying to force conversations that could backfire.