photo by: Douglas County Elections Hub

Kansas State Board of Education District 4 is shown in yellow. District 6 is shown in purple.

As Douglas County voters go to the polls to cast ballots for everything from president to county commissioners, they’ll also be asked to elect leaders to the state’s top policy-making board for public education.

Voters in the Lawrence, Baldwin City, Eudora and Perry-Lecompton school districts will have competitive races to decide for the Kansas State Board of Education during the Nov. 5 general election. The state school board oversees the Kansas State Department of Education, which sets a variety of policies for K-12 public education in the state, including standardized tests, teacher licensing requirements and some financial issues.

Douglas County includes parts of two state school board seats that are up for election, District 4 and District 6.

District 4 covers most of rural Douglas County and the Baldwin City and Eudora school districts. It wraps around much of the city of Lawrence and extends south of the South Lawrence Trafficway. The district includes most of the rural areas of the Lawrence school district, except for areas northwest of the city, and also includes much of the southwestern portion of the city of Lawrence.

District 6 includes the parts of the Lawrence school district located northwest of District 4’s boundary line. It includes most of the Lawrence city limits and the rural area northwest of Lawrence. Lecompton and parts of the Perry-Lecompton school district also are included in District 6.

Outside of Douglas County, District 4 represents parts of several neighboring counties, including Shawnee, Johnson, Franklin and Leavenworth, as well as the entirety of Osage County and part of Wyandotte County. District 6, meanwhile, extends farther west to encompass part of Shawnee County and all of Wabaunsee, Geary, Morris and Lyon counties.

photo by: Screenshot

Kansas State Board of Education District 4 boundaries.

photo by: Screenshot

Kansas State Board of Education District 6 boundaries.

Here’s a look at who’s going to appear on the ballot representing the districts in Douglas County.

District 4

photo by: Screenshot

Connie O’Brien

Connie O’Brien

O’Brien, a Republican candidate, is a graduate of Saint Mary College in social studies and secondary education. She is a mother and grandmother of eleven children who are all graduates of Tonganoxie schools.

O’Brien, a Tonganoxie resident, was a former director of religious education at Sacred Heart Catholic Church and a former teacher and special education substitute. Additionally, O’Brien was a former Kansas state representative of House District 42, serving from 2008 to 2016.

One of the things O’Brien would like to focus on is supporting local control, according to her campaign website. While the Kansas Legislature controls the funding for education in Kansas, it is up to school board members to make policy related to the spending of that money, according to her website. Additionally, she added that task also is up to the parents and voters in the district that elect school board members. O’Brien encourages the school board to listen and encourage these voters, especially the parents, to be involved in the decision making process.

O’Brien also wants to support student opportunities and teachers. She said vo-tech education provides students with the opportunity to learn a skilled trade such as HVAC, welding, culinary arts, construction, plumbing, electrical work, mechanics and small appliance repair. She said these skills lead to good paying jobs.

photo by: Screenshot

Kris Meyer

Kris Meyer

Meyer, a Democrat, grew up in Johnson County where she started out working for her mother’s commercial cleaning company. She attended public schools in Kansas. She said growing up in public schools taught her the values of hard work, community, and the importance of looking out for one another.

Meyer, who is a resident of De Soto, held a teaching job at De Soto public schools and from there served as a school improvement specialist, associate high school principal, and principal of Starside Elementary from 2015 to 2021. Currently, Meyer spends her time serving at a nonprofit foundation supporting new moms, adults diagnosed with cancer, children with special needs, and individuals facing mental health challenges.

If elected, Meyer said she would put in an effort to fund public schools with public monies and resist efforts to divert public dollars to private schools and ensure higher education is accessible to anyone who wishes to pursue a degree. In addition, she wants to ensure access to quality education for every child, regardless of their socio-economic background or zip code.

She added that a highly competent teacher workforce is a necessary foundation for improving children’s educational outcomes. Meyer is advocating for there to be minimal barriers to student learning by letting teachers teach. She said we can do this by fully funding special education and at-risk programs, providing access to key resources and providing teachers ample time to perform their jobs properly. Losing experienced educators to turnover has a direct impact on students, she said via her campaign website.

District 6

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Beryl Ann New

Beryl Ann New

New, a Democratic candidate, brings over a decade of experience in Kansas public education as an educator, counselor and administrator. She graduated from Topeka High School before earning her bachelor’s degree in secondary English education and her master’s in school leadership from Washburn University. She later pursued her doctorate in educational administration at the University of Kansas.

She recently retired from Topeka Public Schools, where she served as the director of certified personnel and equity. Prior to that, she was the assistant principal at Highland Park High School and held the roles of associate principal and assistant principal at Lawrence High School. She later returned to Highland Park as principal, guiding the school through a multi-year improvement plan.

New, who is a Topeka resident, believes that every child deserves access to a free, high-quality education in a nurturing environment that fosters learning and growth. She emphasizes that investing in public schools not only benefits the students but also contributes to building a mature, responsible, and civic-minded community.

If elected to the state board of education, some of her goals include making education more accessible, fostering a civic-minded community, investing in school improvements, increasing graduation rates, and creating supportive learning environments, she said via her campaign website.

photo by: Screenshot

Bruce Schultz

Bruce Schultz

Schultz, a Republican, grew up on a small farm in Nebraska and has built a career in veterinary science and education. He has over 40 years of experience serving on boards across all educational levels, from preschool to university, and has spent 25 years as a professor. Additionally, he has directed a biomedical research program while mentoring and teaching undergraduate, graduate and veterinary students.

Schultz, who is a Wamego resident, has also homeschooled high school students, coached, and worked as a substitute teacher in elementary schools. Schultz’s administrative experience includes roles such as associate and interim department head, college faculty council president, university faculty senate member, course coordinator, and chair of the regents academic committee.

Some of Schultz’s priorities include enhancing school safety by focusing on bullying prevention and maintaining a secure environment; prioritizing education in critical subjects such as math, language arts, science, and financial literacy while ensuring accessibility for students with disabilities; recognizing parents as the first educators and encouraging their collaboration with professional educators; and establishing accessible communication channels between parents, teachers and school boards.

He also aims to improve how educational needs are identified and how funds are allocated, emphasizing academic priorities and student safety to enhance the efficiency of the state’s educational budget.