photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Lawrence school district offices building, located at 110 McDonald Dr., is pictured in May 2025.

Seven Lawrence school board candidates are vying for three seats in this year’s elections, but, unlike the Lawrence City Commission candidates, they won’t appear on the primary ballot in August.

Instead, they will be on the general election ballot on Nov. 4. Three are incumbents seeking reelection, and four are aiming for their first term on the board.

Here’s a reminder of who’s running for Lawrence school board, as well as what they’ve previously told the Journal-World about their priorities for the district.

photo by: Contributed

Bob Byers

• Incumbent Bob Byers, who was appointed in 2023 to fill a vacancy on the board, is the board’s current vice president. He told the Journal-World he wants to move the district forward in its commitment to providing a quality education and to create more favorable conditions for teachers and staff. He has a background in social service and has served as a child protective service worker and in several other social service roles.

photo by: Contributed

ChrisTopher Niles Enneking

• ChrisTopher Niles Enneking, the co-founder of a sports technology company called STATSdraft. He told the Journal-World he wanted to run to restore the community’s faith in the school district, and that he believed that the school board hadn’t done a good job of listening to the community.

photo by: Contributed

Kelly Jones

• Incumbent Kelly Jones, who was first elected to the board in 2017 and recently served as the board’s president. She told the Journal-World she wants to advocate for well-resourced schools, advance the district’s equity work and focus on policies that promote academics, fiscal responsibility and inclusion. She currently works as an associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.

photo by: Contributed

Shannon Kimball

• Incumbent Shannon Kimball, who was first elected to the board in 2011, and who also previously served as board president. She told the Journal-World she hopes to continue serving students, staff and families and wants to help the district navigate ongoing challenges to public education at the state and federal levels. Kimball’s background includes work as an attorney, governmental relations specialist and policy analyst focused on education law and policy.

photo by: Contributed

Matt Lancaster

• Matt Lancaster, program director at the University of Kansas School of Business. He told the Journal-World that recent issues such as school closures have made the district’s finances a hot topic, and that it would be good to provide a sense of stability and reassurance in the face of financial challenges. He also wants to be an educator-friendly voice in conversations around school policy.

photo by: Contributed

Pam Shaw

• Pam Shaw, a pediatrician who told the Journal-World she wanted to run for the school board because of her background in science. She said a lot of what’s happened in public health in recent years has to do with knowledge about science, and the COVID-19 pandemic was a good example of how misinformation can spread. Shaw said she believes in the power of a good public education and that everyone should have access to it.

photo by: Contributed

Molly Starr

• Molly Starr, who wants to focus on improving communication between the school board and Lawrence residents. She told the Journal-World that parents and teachers can feel left out of conversations or unable to reach someone for help. Starr has a professional background in health care architecture and currently works as a part-time architectural consultant and document designer.