Hickman Mills, Center, Belton school districts elect board members, pass bond issues

By Tony Madden

Kansas City’s voter turnout for the April 7, 2026 election was just 8.95%, according to numbers from the Kansas City Election Board. Despite low voter turnout, key budget and leadership decisions were made for area school districts. 

No-tax-increase bond issues and tax levy transfers were passed for both the Center and Hickman Mills School Districts after facing little to no opposition. Voters in the Telegraph’s coverage area also elected school board members for both the Center and Hickman Mills School Districts.

Here’s a rundown of the Telegraph area school board races and bond and levy transfer questions with numbers from the Kansas City and Jackson County Election Boards. 

Hickman Mills C-1 Board of Directors

Three seats on the Hickman Mills C-1 Board of Directors were up for grabs. Byron Townsend, Evelyn Hildebrand and Irene Kendrick were elected to the board. Townsend and Kendrick ran as incumbents. Hildebrand was elected to the board in 2016 and served just one term. 

Townsend garnered the most votes in the race, capturing 1,305 ballots or 21.4% of the vote. Kendrick trailed closely behind with 1,291 votes, or 21.2% of the vote. Hildebrand was also elected to the board with 1,240 votes, or about 20.3%.

Incumbent April Cushing managed to gather 1,205 votes, or about 19.8%, in the race. Newcomer and lawyer Matthew Williams  garnered 997 votes in the race, or about 16.3% of the vote.

Incumbent Townsend garnered the most votes in the race, capturing 1,305 ballots or 21.4% of the vote. Townsend has been on the Hickman Mills board since 2020 after being elected in 2016 then resigning the following year. Townsend is also running to represent Kansas City’s 4th District on the Jackson County Legislature in the August election.

Fellow incumbent Kendrick trailed closely behind Townsend with 1,291 votes, or 21.2% of the vote. Kendrick is a past president of the school board and was first elected in 2020. Kendrick also serves as an alderwoman for Grandview’s Ward 2. Kendrick was also reelected to her Grandview seat on April 7.

Hildebrand was also elected to the board with 1,240 votes, or about 20.3%. The Shreveport native is a longtime substitute teacher in the Hickman Mills School District, and she served one term on the board a decade ago. She decided to run again in 2026 in response to the district’s financial struggles.

Another incumbent, April Cushing, managed to gather 1,205 votes, or about 19.8%, in the race. Cashing was appointed to the board to fill a vacant seat six months ago. She was not elected to the board. 

Williams, a lawyer and Ruskin High School graduate, garnered only 997 votes in the race, or about 16.3% of the vote.

Hickman Mills School District General Obligation Bond & Tax Levy Transfer

Hickman Mills Question 1 sought voter approval of a no-tax-increase $20 million school bond issue to renovate and improve schools throughout the district and to pay off prior obligations that will decrease the district’s debt service levy by 30 cents per $100 of assessed valuation of real and personal property over the life of the bonds.

The bond issue passed with flying colors, garnering 2,369 votes or about 80.5% from voters in the Hickman Mills School District. Just 572 voters, or 19.5%, were in opposition to the bond. 

Hickman Mills Question 2 sought voter approval to transfer funds from its current property tax no longer needed for debt service to its operating fund for expenses such as teacher salaries and student transportation. It is expected to generate about $3.4 million more per year for such operating costs without a tax increase.

The tax levy passed by a smaller margin, gathering 2,197 “yes” votes, about 74.8% of the total vote. Just over a quarter of voters — 738 of them — were opposed to the tax levy transfer.

Center School Board

Four candidates vied for three open seats on the Center School Board in the April 7 election. Each of the three open seats went to newcomers. Current board members Ronald Fritz and Marcie Calvin did not run for reelection. The race also saw the defeat of incumbent board member Ira Boydston IV, who was elected to the board in 2023.

Non-practicing attorney Kristin Stokely is one of the newcomers elected to the Center School Board. Funding is the most urgent issue facing the district, according to Stokely. She wants to “deep-dive” into the budget and focus on teacher retention in the district. Stokely proved herself as the choice candidate, winning a seat with 1,988 votes, or 35.71% of the grand total.

Fellow newcomer and board-elect Melissa Bellante is a third-generation alum of the Center School District who has worked in public education for 15 years. She was urged to run for the school board after writing a letter urging the district to change its transfer credits policy.

Also a newcomer, Marsha Brown was also elected to the Center School Board. Beginning her education career in 1978, Brown has worked in both the Center and Hickman Mills School districts. The district needs to prioritize where spending and cuts need to be made, she said.

Bellante and Brown each collected 1,453 votes, or about 26.1% of the vote.

Center School District General Obligation Bond & Tax Levy Transfer

Center School District Question 1 sought voter approval of a no-tax-increase $29 million bond issue to renovate and improve district schools and athletic facilities. Funds are also to be used for needed security upgrades. 

The bond issue passed by a landslide with 2,397 votes amounting to an 85.6% “yes.”

Center School District Question 2 asks voters to allow the district to modify what funds from its existing property tax levy are used to provide more funding for school programs and operating costs such as teacher and staff salaries and facility maintenance. The levy will also help decrease funds currently earmarked for debt service that are no longer needed there.

The tax levy transfer passed with 2,169 votes, or a 78.2% “yes.”

Belton School District General Obligation Bond

The Belton School District successfully passed its no-tax-increase bond with a 68% majority. The bond ran on a four-prong goal: expanded school rooms, secondary career spaces, early education expansion and facility and grounds maintenance.