photo by: Submitted photo

Becky Plate

A Eudora activist for education is the first candidate from Baldwin City or Eudora to file for any of the city government or school board contests to be held this year.

Becky Plate filed April 1 for one of four at-large seats on the Eudora school board that expire this year. Plate, a 39-year-old registered nurse, said she has advocated in Topeka in recent years for education funding and has regularly attended school board meetings since her now high school-age daughters started school. She admires the work the board has done and would be proud to serve with any of the current members, she said.

“I really want to be part of the movement forward with the district,” she said. “Running for the board is my way of giving back for all the benefits my children have received from Eudora schools.”

Plate said the relationships she has forged with legislators through her volunteer advocacy work would benefit the district. She has also developed strong friendships with district teachers that would be valuable as a board member, she said.

The terms of incumbent Eudora board members Mark Chrislip, Bryan Maring, Joe Pyle and Lynn Reazin expire this year. All Eudora board members are elected to at-large positions, and all candidates running for the four open seats will be on the ballot together. The four who receive the most votes win a four-year term on the seven-member board.

An August primary will only be necessary if more than three times the number of candidates file for the open seats being contested. The filing deadline for candidates for city government or school board positions is June 3.

Also on the ballot this year in Eudora are three seats on the five-member Eudora City Commission. Those seats are currently held by Tim Bruce, Ruth Hughs and Troy Squire.

There will be five positions expiring this year on the Baldwin City School Board. Unlike Eudora, only one member of the seven-member board is elected to an at-large position. The other six board members are elected to represent the areas of District 1, the northwestern portion of the district, District 2, the eastern portion of the district, and District 3, the southwestern part of the district. Incumbents whose seats expire this year are at-large member Kelley Bethell-Smith; Sandy Chapman, of District 2; Chad Christie, of District 3; and Nick Harris and Phillip Harvey, both of District 1.

Three Baldwin City Council at-large positions are expiring in 2019, as well. Incumbents whose terms are expiring are Tony Brown, David Simmons and A.J. Stevens.