photo by: Contributed

Bob Byers

Lawrence school board member Bob Byers has announced that he’s running for re-election.

Byers said in an email to the Journal-World that with his level of experience, knowledge and skills, he believes that he can move the district forward in its commitment to providing a quality education for the children in the community and to create more favorable conditions for teachers and staff.

“My focus is to develop strategies to bring financial stability to the school district that does not include such drastic measures as closing buildings and/or cutting services,” Byers said.

“With a keen eye for systems and how they operate, I believe I can work with the other school board members and the superintendent to create and/or identify other alternatives that will bring about financial security,” Byers said.

Byers graduated from Pittsburg State University with a bachelor’s degree in social work in 1977 and moved to Lawrence in 1979 where he got his master’s in social work at the University of Kansas. He has served as a child protection service worker, a social service supervisor, a social service chief and as a program administrator.

During the course of his career, Byers has made many contributions to the child welfare system, he said. He has collaborated with the Kansas Department of Children & Families, KU and the school district to develop the first truancy program – which aims to address attendance issues and prevent students from becoming involved in the legal system – in Lawrence.

“My years of involvement with the Lawrence school district has been a part of my professional background as well,” Byers said. “I have served as a volunteer, been a member of various board appointed committees and am currently serving a two and a half year term as a member of the board.”

As the Journal-World reported, three seats will be up for election. School board president Kelly Jones, elected in 2021, will finish her current four-year term this year. The terms of Byers, who was appointed in 2023 to fill a vacancy after Kay Emerson’s resignation, and longtime board member Shannon Kimball, who was elected in 2023 for a two-year term, are also set to end this year. Thus far, Byers is the only incumbent who has announced plans to run for re-election.

The other school board members, including GR Gordon-Ross, Anne Costello, Carole Cadue-Blackwood and Yolanda Franklin, were each elected to four-year terms in 2023.

The deadline to submit election filings is June 2. If there are 10 candidates that file for the school board election, a primary will take place on August 5, and the general election is scheduled for November 4.