In this file photo from Tuesday, April 5, 2011, Lawrence school board Vice President Shannon Kimball, then a candidate, chats with crowd members on election night at the Douglas County Courthouse. Kimball on July 26, 2016 was named a regional vice president of the Kansas Association of School Boards this week

A Lawrence school board member has been appointed to represent the northeastern region of Kansas on the state school boards association.

Lawrence school board Vice President Shannon Kimball was named a regional vice president of the Kansas Association of School Boards this week, a role she said will bring more context to her position on the local board.

“I think one big benefit is the ability to be better informed about what the association is doing and what other districts across the state are doing,” Kimball said.

Shannon Kimball

The organization sets statewide policy guidelines and participates in legislative advocacy efforts for public school districts. Kimball, who previously worked as an attorney on school issues, also serves on the Lawrence board’s policy advisory committee.

Recent changes to the state funding formula have had varying effects on districts depending on their size, location and makeup, and Kimball said her new position will help her and the Lawrence board to better understanding how legislative issues affect other districts.

“There’s a lot of issues that come up legislatively that affect us,” Kimball said. “We have our board’s position sometimes on some things, but I think it would be very helpful for us to have a better understanding of the broader context and where other districts are.”

KASB is governed by a board of directors made up of school board members from throughout Kansas who each represent one of 15 regions. The organization meets five times per year and Kimball will represent region one, which is made up of Atchison, Doniphan, Douglas, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties.

As vice president of region one, Kimball will also serve as a liaison between the organization and district heads in her region. Kimball said she thinks that interaction will give Lawrence a chance to learn from the undertakings of other districts.

“Making those connections with people from all over the state and just having that opportunity to network, share what we’re doing and also learn about what other districts are doing — I think that will add value to the role that I already play on our board,” Kimball said.

Kimball has served on the Lawrence board since 2011. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Kansas University and her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.

Kimball was appointed to her new position by the KASB president after the previous representative, Dayna Miller, assumed the position of KASB president-elect. Local boards of education elect their regional representatives at a convention each December.

Kimball said she will serve in her position with the KASB through 2017.