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Shawnee Mission School District elections (2017)
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Three of the seven seats on the Shawnee Mission School District Board of Education in Kansas were up for general election on November 7, 2017. A primary election was held on August 1, 2017, for the at-large seat and the District 4 seat. In his bid for re-election to the District 4 seat, incumbent Craig Denny ran against challengers Lee Biard, Laura Guy, and Christopher White. Denny and Guy advanced to the general election, where Guy won, defeating the incumbent. Mandi Serrone Hunter and Heather Ousley defeated incumbent Cindy Neighbor and fellow challengers Robert Roberge and Fabian Shepard in the at-large primary and advanced to the general election, where Ousley won the seat.[1][2]
The District 2 seat did not hold a primary election as fewer candidates filed to run for that seat. Mary Sinclair defeated James Lockard for that open seat in the general election.[3][4] District 4 candidate Lee Biard announced that he stopped actively campaigning, but his name still appeared on the primary election ballot.[5]
The 2017 election attracted a higher average number of candidates per seat compared to the district's past two election cycles. In 2017, an average of 3.67 candidates filed per seat on the ballot, while an average of 1.5 candidates filed per seat in 2015 and an average of 1.33 candidates filed per seat in 2013. Click here for more election trends in the district.
Winners of the 2017 election were tasked with choosing the district's next superintendent. Former Superintendent Jim Hinson retired from the district on June 30, 2017, six months after renewing his contract through 2020. The board appointed Kenny Southwick, the district's deputy superintendent, as interim superintendent for the 2017-2018 school year.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Shawnee Mission Board of Education consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Five of the seats are elected by district, and two of the seats are elected at large. Elections are held on a staggered basis every November of odd-numbered years. Four seats—three by district and one at large—were up for election in April 7, 2015, and three seats—two by district and one at large—were up for election on November 7, 2017. A primary election for the at-large seat and the District 4 seat was held on August 1, 2017.[3][6][7]
Prior to 2017, board of education elections were held in the spring of odd-numbered years. House Bill 2104 changed all school board election dates in Kansas to November of odd-numbered years. It was signed into law on June 8, 2015.[8]
To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file by June 1, 2017.[7] To vote in the primary election, citizens of the school district had to register by July 11, 2017, and to vote in the general election, they had to register by October 17, 2017.[9] Photo identification was required to vote in Kansas.[10]
Candidates and results
District 2
Results
| Shawnee Mission School District, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Mary Sinclair |
77.42% | 6,029 |
| James Lockard | 22.43% | 1,747 |
| Write-in votes | 0.14% | 11 |
| Total Votes | 7,787 | |
| Source: Johnson County, "Election Summary Report 2017 Fall General Official Final Results," accessed November 17, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| James Lockard | Mary Sinclair | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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District 4
General election
Results
| Shawnee Mission School District, District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Laura Guy |
60.20% | 3,258 |
| Craig Denny Incumbent | 39.62% | 2,144 |
| Write-in votes | 0.18% | 10 |
| Total Votes | 5,412 | |
| Source: Johnson County, "Election Summary Report 2017 Fall General Official Final Results," accessed November 17, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Craig Denny | Laura Guy | ||
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Primary election
Results
| Shawnee Mission School District, District 4 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Laura Guy |
38.23% | 1,121 |
| Craig Denny Incumbent |
28.14% | 825 |
| Christopher White | 23.06% | 676 |
| Lee Biard | 10.57% | 310 |
| Total Votes | 2,932 | |
| Source: Johnson County Election Office, "Election Summary Report: 2017 Fall Primary Official Final Results," accessed August 8, 2017 | ||
Candidates defeated in the primary
| Lee Biard | Christopher White | ||
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At-large
General election
Results
| Shawnee Mission School District, At-large General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Heather Ousley |
66.08% | 21,314 |
| Mandi Serrone Hunter | 33.68% | 10,864 |
| Write-in votes | 0.24% | 76 |
| Total Votes | 32,254 | |
| Source: Johnson County, "Election Summary Report 2017 Fall General Official Final Results," accessed November 17, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Mandi Serrone Hunter | Heather Ousley | ||
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Primary election
Results
| Shawnee Mission School District, At-large Primary Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Heather Ousley |
42.29% | 7,641 |
| Mandi Serrone Hunter |
20.79% | 3,756 |
| Cindy Neighbor Incumbent | 20.71% | 3,742 |
| Fabian Shepard | 13.75% | 2,485 |
| Robert Roberge | 2.47% | 446 |
| Total Votes | 18,070 | |
| Source: Johnson County Election Office, "Election Summary Report: 2017 Fall Primary Official Final Results," accessed August 8, 2017 | ||
Candidates defeated in the primary
| Cindy Neighbor | Robert Roberge | Fabian Shepard | |||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Kansas elections, 2017
The Shawnee Mission Board of Education primary election shared the ballot with elections for the Ward 3 and Ward 4 seats on the Shawnee City Council.[3] The Shawnee Mission Board of Education general election shared the ballot with elections for the Ward 1, 2, 3, and 4 seats on the Shawnee City Council and trustees for the Johnson County Community College.[4]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Kansas school board elections in 2017:[7][9][11]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| June 1, 2017 | Candidate filing deadline |
| July 11, 2017 | Voter registration deadline for primary election |
| August 1, 2017 | Primary election (if needed) |
| August 31, 2017 | Campaign finance reporting deadline for primary election |
| October 17, 2017 | Voter registration deadline for general election |
| November 7, 2017 | General election |
| December 7, 2017 | Campaign finance reporting deadline for general election |
| January 8, 2018 | Board members take office |
Endorsements
General election
Education First Shawnee Mission, a local political action committee, endorsed Mary Sinclair for the District 2 seat, Laura Guy for the District 4 seat, and Mandi Serrone Hunter and Heather Ousley for the at-large seat in the general election.[12][13] All four candidates were also endorsed by MainPAC, the political action committee for the MainStream Coalition, and by Kansans Advancing Women (KAW).[14][15]
The National Education Association-Shawnee Mission’s Political Action Committee endorsed Sinclair and James Lockard for the District 2 general election, Guy for the District 4 general election, and Ousley for the at-large general election.[16][17] Sinclair was also endorsed by Kansas Families for Education.[18]
Primary election
MainPAC endorsed Guy, Craig Denny, and Christopher White in the District 4 primary, and it endorsed Ousley, Hunter, and Cindy Neighbor in the at-large primary.[19] The National Education Association-Shawnee Mission’s Political Action Committee endorsed White for the District 4 primary election and Ousley for the at-large primary election.[16]
Equality Kansas endorsed Sinclair for the District 2 general election, Guy and Denny for the District 4 primary election, and Ousley and Robert Roberge for the at-large primary election.[20] Kansans for Life endorsed Fabian Shepard for the at-large primary election.[21]
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $68,329.42 and spent a total of $62,823.71 in the election, according to the Johnson County Elections Office.[22]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 2 | |||
| Mary Sinclair | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| James Lockard | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| District 4 | |||
| Craig Denny | $11,560.70 | $9,082.90 | $2,477.80 |
| Lee Biard | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Laura Guy | $1,982.70 | $1,982.70 | $0.00 |
| Christopher White | $2,528.38 | $2,528.38 | $0.00 |
| At-large | |||
| Cindy Neighbor | $1,567.10 | $1,510.04 | $57.06 |
| Mandi Serrone Hunter | $19,820.00 | $19,239.03 | $580.97 |
| Heather Ousley | $25,443.54 | $23,448.65 | $165.49 |
| Robert Roberge | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Fabian Shepard | $5,427.00 | $5,032.01 | $394.99 |
Reporting requirements
School board candidates in Kansas were required to file campaign finance reports 30 days after each primary, general, or special election. For 2017, campaign finance reports were due on August 31, 2017, if there was a primary election, and on December 7, 2017.[11]
School board candidates were required to file finance reports with their county election office if they raised or spent more than $500 for their campaigns. If they did not meet that threshold, they had to file paperwork indicating that by July 23, 2017.[11]
Past elections
To see results from past elections in the Shawnee Mission School District, click here.
What was at stake?
Election trends
- See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief
The 2017 election for the Shawnee Mission School District Board of Education attracted a higher average number of candidates running per seat compared to the district's previous two election cycles. In 2017, 11 candidates filed to run for three seats for an average of 3.67 candidates per seat. The high number of candidates prompted the need for primary elections for two seats. In 2015, six candidates ran for four seats for an average of 1.5, and in 2013, four candidates ran for three seats for an average of 1.33. Primary elections were not held in 2013 or 2015.
None of the races for the three seats up for election in 2017 were unopposed, unlike the district's previous two elections. In 2013 and 2015, the races for two seats were unopposed each year.
| School board election trends | ||||||
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| Year | Candidates per seat | Unopposed seats | Incumbents running for re-election | Incumbent success rate | Seats won by newcomers | |
| Shawnee Mission School District | ||||||
| 2017 | 3.67 | 0.00% | 66.67% | 0.00% | 100.00% | |
| 2015 | 1.50 | 50.00% | 75.00% | 100.00% | 25.00% | |
| 2013 | 1.33 | 66.67% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 0.00% | |
| Kansas | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.86 | 28.57% | 78.57% | 95.45% | 25.00% | |
| United States | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.72 | 35.95% | 70.37% | 82.66% | 40.81% | |
Issues in the district
Superintendent retires
Shawnee Mission Superintendent Jim Hinson retired from his position on June 30, 2017. The Shawnee Mission Board of Education appointed Kenny Southwick, the district's deputy superintendent, to serve as the district's interim superintendent for the 2017-2018 school year.[23][24]
In December 2016, Hinson renewed his contract through 2020, but he said he wanted to pursue other opportunities and spend more time with his family when he announced his resignation in April 2017. During his tenure, every student in the district received a laptop through a $20 million program paid through the district's capital outlay funds in 2014. Hinson also led the district while construction was started or completed on five new elementary schools and a consolidated administration center. A $223 million bond proposal for those projects in addition to other improvements and expansions was approved by voters in 2015.[23]
During his tenure, Hinson was criticized by some community members for backing a proposal by Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) to change the state's education funding formula to a block-grant system. He was one of the only superintendents in the state to do so. The block-grant system was passed by the legislature in 2015, but it was later ruled unconstitutional by the Kansas Supreme Court.[23]
Hinson was also criticized by some district teachers for a top-down management style and for not explaining personnel or curriculum changes. Some teachers also said they felt undervalued after administrators were given raises while the district was having financial troubles.[23]
After Hinson announced his resignation, Board President Sara Goodburn released a statement thanking him for his service. “On behalf of the board, we thank Dr. Hinson for introducing our district to relevant, innovative, state-of-the-art methods to deliver high quality education to all our students. He was instrumental in developing the district’s 10-year strategic plan which enhanced academics, technology, safety and security, and communications,” said Goodburn.[23]
After Southwick was appointed interim superintendent, the board approved an increase of $34,500 to his compensation package. As deputy superintendent, Southwick received a $195,500 salary as well as $9,000 for car travel. The board did not hire a deputy superintendent to take over his former role. Southwick continued overseeing those duties when he took on the role of interim superintendent.[24]
Southwick said that by maintaining his deputy superintendent duties, he was saving the district money. Some members of the community, however, criticized his raise. The group SMSD Watchdogs said the raise was higher than some of the salaries of classified personnel in the district.[24][25]
ACLU of Kansas questions constitutionality of board policy
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas wrote a letter to the Shawnee Mission Board of Education on May 30, 2017, saying it was concerned that a policy regarding the public comment portion of board meetings violated the First Amendment. The letter was sent to the board after a district parent was interrupted when he asked about an alleged conflict of interest issue at a board meeting on May 22, 2017. The parent asked why board member Debra Zila did not recuse herself when voting to approve a contract with an insurance company that employed her daughter, but board President Sara Goodburn cut off his statement and did not let him continue after he called Zila by name. Goodburn said a new board policy did not allow district employees or students to be named during public comments.[26][27]
“It’s fundamental to our system of government that people have the ability to criticize public leaders,” said Doug Bonney, chief counsel and legal director for the ACLU of Kansas. “It’s not limited to elected officials — it applies to all government officials.”[26]
Goodburn later acknowledged she should not have stopped the parent from speaking as Zila was not an employee of the district. The board policy limiting the use of specific names during public comments was introduced in board meetings in April and May.[26] The Kansas City Star editorial board published an article on June 1, 2017, calling for the policy to be removed.[28]
On May 31, 2017, district spokeswoman Erin Little acknowledged that the board had received the letter from the ACLU. “As the board continues its review of draft guidelines, it will take the comments in the letter into consideration as it balances the privacy rights of individual students and employees with the free speech rights of individual citizens,” said Little.[26]
Board adopts protocol for immigration and naturalization service employees
 Sanctuary policy conflicts | |
| Shawnee Mission School District was one of 15 districts tracked by Ballotpedia that debated sanctuary policies as of October 16, 2017. Learn more about these debates on Ballopedia's coverage of sanctuary jurisdictions » | |
The Shawnee Mission Board of Education approved a resolution on April 24, 2017, establishing a protocol for immigration and naturalization service employees to notify the superintendent of their presence before they enter a district building. The resolution also reaffirmed the district's policy to not ask about a student's immigration status and to not share student information without parental consent or a court order.[29][30]
The board established the new protocol after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas sent a letter on April 19, 2017, asking members to review the district's policies related to police and immigration officers. The letter described an incident in which a student at the district's Briarwood Elementary School was handed into police custody on February 7, 2017. The student's mother had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and officers from the Prairie Village Police Department escorted the student to the Division of Child and Family Services.[30][31][32]
If students did not have a parent or approved adult to pick them up, it was the district's standard procedure to take them to the Division of Child and Family Services, according to 41 Action News. The ACLU of Kansas, however, said school officials did not contact the student's father or the emergency contacts listed in the student's file before handing the child over to police officers. The student's mother was later released, but she said the events traumatized her family.[30][32]
John Douglass, executive director of the district's emergency services department, said the protocol established by the board "gives us the opportunity and time to stabilize the event, to plan a reaction to it, to be able to plan for students' best well-being." He also said ICE agents had never been to any of the district's schools.[30]
The ICE said it was not involved in the incident at the school. "The notion of a school district forming a policy to this effect is a non-issue, as it addresses a scenario that does not exist. ICE does not conduct law enforcement in schools," said an ICE representative.[30]
Issues in the state
State education funding bill
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled on October 2, 2017, that the Kansas State Legislature had not met its constitutional obligation to adequately and equitably fund public schools, echoing a March 2017 ruling from the same court that had required the state legislature to send more money to public schools. State lawmakers responded to that March 2017 ruling by a passing a bill that increased funding for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years by $293 million. The October 2017 ruling said that increase was not enough and directed lawmakers to craft a new education funding bill by June 30, 2018.[33][34][35]
The October 2017 ruling found that the $293 million increase failed to meet the state constitution's requirement for public education. Article 6 states, “The legislature shall make suitable provision for finance of the educational interests of the state.” In earlier court decisions Article 6 was interpreted to require the state to provide funding to public schools that is adequate and equitable. The adequacy requirement calls for the state's education funding system to be "reasonably calculated to have all Kansas public education students meet or exceed the standards." Under the equity requirement, “School districts must have reasonably equal access to substantially similar educational opportunity through similar tax effort.”[36]
The October 2017 ruling was the latest in a 20-year state battle over school finance, and it was the fifth time in three years that the Kansas Supreme Court determined the state legislature had underfunded public education. The case, Gannon v. Kansas, was filed by the Wichita, Hutchinson, Dodge City, and Kansas City school districts in November 2010.[33][37]
Republican leadership in the state legislature issued a statement that condemned the court's ruling and called it an unrealistic demand. “This ruling shows clear disrespect for the legislative process and puts the rest of state government and programs in jeopardy,” the statement said.[33]
Sen. Julia Lynn (R-9) said she believed there would “never, ever be enough money” to meet the court's satisfaction. “And unless somebody else has a better idea, we’re going to be doing this for the rest of our legislative lives, the Legislature will be fighting this,” said Lynn.[33]
When the legislature was directed to pass a new education funding plan in March 2017, the court did not say how much education funding had to increase.[38] Before the final bill was passed, Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (D-19) said he believed drafts from both the Senate and House were inadequate.[39] He proposed an increase of $420 million for two years, but it was rejected in a 23-16 vote.[40]
When the bill was passed on June 6, 2017, the legislative session had been open for 108 days of what was scheduled to be a 100-day session. It was one of the longest sessions in the state's history. State lawmakers passed a bill to increase income taxes and end a tax exemption for farms and businesses on June 7, 2017, as part of a plan to fund the education increase and fill an $889 million budget shortfall. Gov. Sam Brownback (R) vetoed the tax bill, but both chambers of the legislature voted to override the veto with a two-thirds majority.[35]
The justices allowed the education funding bill to take effect while they determined if it met constitutional requirements, which allowed school districts to create their budgets for the 2017-2018 school year.[41] With a deadline of April 30, 2018, to craft a new education funding bill to meet the October 2017 ruling's requirements, the legislature did not have to go into special session in 2017. The 2018 session of the legislature began in January 2018.[33]
On April 7, 2018, legislators passed a school funding bill (SB 423) intended to increase K-12 funding by more than $500 million over five years. Gov. Jeff Colyer (R) signed the legislation on April 17, 2018. The Kansas State Department of Education identified that the legislation contained an $80 million error in the first year, decreasing the amount of funding from $150 million to $72 million. On April 30, 2018, lawmakers approved a measure correcting the error. Gov. Colyer signed the legislation on May 4, 2018.[42]
On June 25, 2018, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the state's legislative adjustments to education funding, SB 423 and SB 61, were equitable but inadequate. The court concluded that Kansas had not met the adequacy requirement in Article 6 of the state constitution. The court advised the state to undertake further adjustments to inflation and allowed the legislation (SB 19, SB 423, and SB 61) to temporarily remain in effect, thus providing funding for Kansas schools for the 2018-2019 school year. The court extended the deadline for the state to fulfill its constitutional duties to June 30, 2019.[43]
In April 2019, the Kansas legislature passed a law that increased the state's education budget by $900 million each year. On June 14, 2019, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that with the passage of the April 2019 law, the state was adequately funding education. When issuing the ruling, the court chose to keep the lawsuit open so it could monitor education funding in future years' budgets.[44][45]
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About the district
- See also: Shawnee Mission School District, Kansas
The Shawnee Mission School District is located in Johnson County in northeastern Kansas. The county seat is Olathe. Johnson County was home to an estimated 584,451 residents in 2016, according to the United States Census Bureau.[46] The district was the third-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 27,470 students.[47]
Demographics
Johnson County outperformed Kansas as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2011 and 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 52.8 percent of Johnson County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 31 percent of state residents. During the same time period, the median household income in Johnson County was $76,113, compared to $52,205 for the entire state. The poverty rate in the county was 5.5 percent, while it was 13 percent statewide.[46]
| Racial Demographics, 2015[46] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Johnson County (%) | Kansas (%) |
| White | 87.3 | 86.7 |
| Black or African American | 5.0 | 6.3 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| Asian | 4.8 | 2.9 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.4 | 11.6 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Shawnee Mission School District Kansas election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Shawnee Mission School District | Kansas | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Johnson County Election Office, "Election Summary Report: 2017 Fall Primary Official Final Results," accessed August 8, 2017
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Slew of first-time candidates raise stakes in Shawnee Mission school board primary," July 27, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Johnson County Election Office, "Unofficial Candidate Filings - August 1, 2017," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Johnson County Election Office, "Unofficial Candidate Filings - November 7, 2017," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Shawnee Mission Post, "Our questions for the Shawnee Mission Board of Education candidates," June 19, 2017
- ↑ Shawnee Mission School District, "Board of Education," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Kansas State Department of Education, "School Board Member Elections," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ Open States, "HB 2104 - Kansas 2015-2016 Regular Session," accessed June 4, 2015
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Kansas Secretary of State, "Registration & Voting," accessed July 5, 2017
- ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "got voter ID?" accessed July 5, 2017
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 2014 Kansas Statutes, "KS Stat § 25-904 (2014)," accessed June 8, 2017
- ↑ Education First Shawnee Mission, "Endorsements: 2017 School Board Election," accessed October 13, 2017
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Parents behind new Shawnee Mission PAC set sights on changing district," July 5, 2017
- ↑ MainPAC, "2017 MainPAC General Election Recommendations," accessed October 13, 2017
- ↑ Kansans Advancing Women, "2017 General Election Endorsements," accessed October 13, 2017
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Shawnee Mission Post, "National Education Association-Shawnee Mission PAC endorses Ousley, White in school board primaries," June 27, 2017
- ↑ Facebook, "National Education Association-Shawnee Mission post August 23, 2017," accessed October 13, 2017
- ↑ Mary Sinclair School Board SM East Area, "Candidate Questionnaires," accessed October 13, 2017
- ↑ Mainstream Coalition, "MainPAC Endorsements," accessed July 20, 2017
- ↑ Equality Kansas, "2017 Municipal and School Board Primary Election Endorsements," July 16, 2017
- ↑ Kansans for Life, "Pro-Life Endorsements for Aug. 1 Primary," accessed July 20, 2017
- ↑ Johnson County Election Office, "Campaign & Committee Reports," accessed December 18, 2017
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 The Kansas City Star, "Shawnee Mission Superintendent Jim Hinson announces retirement," April 19, 2017
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 41 Action News, "Shawnee Mission School District interim superintendent receives $34k raise," June 27, 2017
- ↑ Facebook, "SMSD Watchdogs post June 26, 2017," accessed July 10, 2017
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 The Kansas City Star, "ACLU of Kansas: Shawnee Mission School District policy is ‘unconstitutional,’" May 31, 2017
- ↑ American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, "ACLU Letter To Shawnee Mission School Board Regarding Open Forum Guidelines," accessed July 10, 2017
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Editorial: Shawnee Mission school board can’t muzzle public," June 1, 2017
- ↑ Shawnee Mission School District, "Resolution: Rights of Students and Protocols for the Shawnee Mission School District," accessed July 10, 2017
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 41 Action News, "Shawnee Mission School District explains immigration resolution," April 25, 2017
- ↑ American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, "ACLU Letter To Shawnee Mission School Board Regarding Undocumented Families," accessed July 10, 2017
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, "Recent Issue at Briarwood Elementary School," April 19, 2017
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 The Wichita Eagle, "School funding still inadequate and unfair, Supreme Court rules," October 2, 2017
- ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Kansas Lawmakers Pass School Aid Increase, Income Tax Hike," June 6, 2017
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 U.S. News & World Report, "Kansas Lawmakers Override Governor Veto," June 7, 2017
- ↑ Justia US Law, "Gannon v. State," accessed October 16, 2017
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Interactive timeline: Kansas school-funding dispute," February 11, 2016
- ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Some Lawmakers Say Kansas Education Funding May Be Too Small," May 31, 2017
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Kansas Senate agrees to school finance formula, but warnings from Democrats continue," May 31, 2017
- ↑ AP News,"Kansas lawmakers sweeten education plan, advance tax hike," May 13, 2017
- ↑ The Sentinel, "Kansas Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments on School Finance," June 21, 2017
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "'A very strong bill': Gov. Colyer signs off on school finance plan," April 17, 2018
- ↑ Kansas Judicial Branch, "Gannon v. Kansas," accessed July 14, 2021
- ↑ AP News, "Kansas high court says education funding is adequate," June 14, 2019
- ↑ Education Dive, "States' failure to track education funds complicates spending model overhauls," July 17, 2019
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts: Johnson County, Kansas," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data, file ccd_lea_052_1414_w_0216161a, 2014-2015," accessed November 16, 2016
| Shawnee Mission School District elections in 2017 | |
| Johnson County, Kansas | |
| Election date: | Primary election: August 1, 2017 • General election: November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | District 2: • James Lockard • Mary Sinclair District 4: • Incumbent, Craig Denny • Lee Biard • Laura Guy • Christopher White At-large: • Incumbent, Cindy Neighbor • Mandi Serrone Hunter • Heather Ousley • Robert Roberge • Fabian Shepard |
| Important information: | What's at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
