Kansas school district hires advisers to help with name change; Seaman was named for KKK leader

TOPEKA — A Kansas school district named after a 1920s Ku Klux Klan leader has voted to pay an advisory group to help with discussions on changing the name.

The Seaman school district’s school board voted Monday to make a base payment of $30,000 to the Kansas Leadership Council to help with the discussions.

The district is named after Fred Seaman, a former Kansas leader of the KKK. Students, teachers and some community groups have pushed to have the name changed.

The school board had already appointed an advisory task force — comprising teachers, business owners, community members and a student — to provide a report on the issue. The board will make the final decision.

Ed O’Malley, CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center, said his group will “advise the advisory group,” KSNT-TV reported.

School board President James Adams said the board decided it needed to work with people who have previous experience leading discussions on complex issues.

He said the board doesn’t have a time frame for making a decision.

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