By Sara Wiercinski

Voters within the Kansas City Public Schools district will select new board directors, who serve four-year terms, staggered by sub-district. In addition to the races below, Tricia McGhee is running unopposed for the sub-district 3 seat while Joseph Nelson challenges incumbent Tanesha Ford (current Vice Chair) for one at-large seat.

KCPS faces a critical point in its future, as it asks voters to approve a bond issue for capital facility improvements. As this issue went to press, the board unanimously approved a three-year contract extension for Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collier, through the 2027-2028 school year. National politics will also have local implications, as the administration dismantles the Department of Education, the 45-year old agency which administers student loans and provides resources for PreK through higher education.

KCPS enrollment for the 2024-25 school year is 14,725 total students.

Sub-District 1

Rita Cortes

Incumbent and Board Chair Rita Cortes was first elected in 2019, then again in 2021 to a four year term. During her six years, she points to continuous, purposeful work towards achieving full accreditation in 2022 along with other progress indicators like higher graduation rate. “Supporting the district is a team sport, for lack of a better term,” said Cortes.

“A big part of the work is making sure we work effectively together.”

Cortes says the highlight of her tenure is the passage of Blueprint 2030, the strategic plan on which the $474 million bond is based. She says consistent progress has helped rebuild some trust in the community after a long strained relationship.

“I don’t think we’d be in this position to go to our voters and ask for their trust if all of these things hadn’t happened in a constructive way. We know it’s been a long road.” said Cortes.

As part of the bond research process, she and other directors toured each school building to determine what was needed. She described new campuses at locations within the city which will house early education, elementary and family empowerment centers, “literally creating spaces for our families to meet.”

Cortes says district studies from a decade ago even then suggested the need for a south middle school. “Elementary schools on the south end are busting at the seams. More than anything else, we know parents want a neighborhood middle option.” One of the proposed bond projects is $45.1 million to open a third middle school at the site of the mothballed Southwest High School.

She credits the effective recruiting work initiated under Dr. Collier’s direction of Human Resources, and says the district has made improving climate and culture a priority for teacher retention. She wants the district to become an employer of choice, and that improved facilities proposed by the bond would help compete with other local districts.
Cortes is the Executive Director of the Menorah Heritage Foundation. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Rice University and a Master’s degree from UMKC.

“I don’t have kids and didn’t attend public school. Still I want our public school system to reflect our city. Those are our kids, too. There’s still room for me to contribute.

Kelly Thompson

Challenging Cortes is Kelly Thompson, whose experience as a parent with children in district schools (Foreign Language Academy and Lincoln College Prep) emboldened her to run “to make sure there is an urgency about making the district better.”

Thompson said that while markers of progress like full accreditation are good, they are just a baseline. “Every kid has potential, we need to provide the kind of high quality education that will help them launch into the next stage of their life,” she said.

Thompson is Director of Client Services for Evertune AI, a tech innovation company. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri Columbia with Master’s degree in Environmental and Urban Geosciences from UMKC. She also worked in television production and as a journalist in Washington, DC.

As a board member, Thompson says her training in human-centered design will help her understand how to put people first when solving problems. She highlights the importance of accountability to stakeholders–”families, and also the city at large.” As the city grows, she says the district must support diverse communities, in particular English language learners.

Thompson fully supports the district’s investment in school-based family and community engagement liaisons, and wants to see more funding for these roles. “It’s a shift toward thinking of schools as community support hubs,” she said. She also applauds the district’s increased funding in school sports and the arts (KCPS students in grades 4 and up now have access to orchestra and band programs.)

She is hopeful the bond issue will pass to fix outdated school buildings. “Kids look around. When they see quality, inviting places, they feel safe and supported and seen.”

When talking to teachers, Thompson hears that competitive pay is important but not a first priority. She wants to provide additional resources so they can work and feel cared for.

“Our teachers are at the forefront of the large mental health burden that our society faces, and we are ill-prepared for all of it.”

Thompson sees future success developing partnerships with community-based child care providers, expanding career and tech education options, more mentorship and tutoring for kids who need it, and even more support from Kansas City’s business community.

“We have to get our city to invest in public education.”

Sub-District 5

Brittany D. Foley

Brittany D. Foley has a vision of strong neighborhood public schools. A resident of the Blue Hills neighborhood, she and her family received a shock when her son’s neighborhood school Troost Elementary closed in 2023. He was in 3rd grade at the time.

“It was uprooting. I don’t wish that on my worst enemy,” she said.

“I got tired of people in positions of power sending their kids to the signature schools. They are great, but the majority of kids attend neighborhood schools so let’s see an investment there. That pushed me to run.”

Foley works as a paralegal for the federal public defender’s office in downtown Kansas City, involved in capital crimes with execution dates. She says her work experience and background in social work and community health provide an understanding of underserved communities.

“I want to be that voice for families. I am rooted in their experiences. I also want to be a voice for fairness and accountability.”

Originally from Taylor, Texas, Foley earned a degree in Environmental Studies from Huston Tillotson University. Foley credits her hometown’s school bond for the new high school she attended. “Even in rural, conservative Texas, that was something everyone could agree on.”

She is excited about a south middle school. “Parents are used to traditional K-5 and 6-8. We lose students, especially after 5th grade. I think this is one issue that drives people away.”

Foley has been involved in the District Advisory Council (DAC) for several years. At school board meetings and other functions, she wants to see an expansion of language interpretation services so more parents can be involved.

She says the mentorship program concept is excellent, but in need of administrative improvement. Last year, some interested adults were never paired up with waiting students.

Foley would like to see expanded trade prep offerings like EMT and culinary schools, replicating the success at Manual Career and Technical Center at other locations.

She is endorsed by the Kansas City Federation of Teachers & School-Related Personnel and Sunrise Movement KC.

“A city is as good as its public schools are. I want to see a future for all kids regardless of zip code and regardless of what they have to deal with at home. I want KCPS to be a comfortable choice for families.”

Bruce Beatty

Bruce Beatty and his wife Gail live with their three nephews, ages 5, 10 and 11, who each attend Kansas City Public Schools. He is running to be more involved in the district as a whole, and to bring his professional experience to move the board forward.

Beatty is proud of the district’s recent accomplishments: re-accreditation, a long-term superintendent, higher graduation rates.

“The district is currently doing lots of positive things,” said Beatty. “And still a lot of people’s mindsets are still 30 years ago, thinking it’s ‘no good’. How do we get the word out more?”

The bond is critical, said Beatty. “Right now we are trying to do capital improvements with operating dollars. Not knowing what that will be makes long term planning impossible. A dedicated stream would help that out immensely.”

Beatty is a lifelong Kansas City resident and a graduate of Southeast High School. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Finance from the University of Central Missouri and an MBA from Rockhurst University. He worked for the City of Kansas City for 33 years in both the City Manager’s Office and Finance Department.

In addition to traditional teacher recruitment, Beatty sees potential in tapping the instructors and support staff already in the classroom who may not yet be certified. “Sometimes they are already there, wanting to teach. Let’s nurture their skill sets.”

Beatty wants to see more middle and high schools emulate the success at Lincoln. “Lincoln has been an International Baccalaureate site for 30 plus years now. Not all students are at that level, but can we bring some lessons we learned to other schools? If not, why is that?”

He sees rich partnership potential engaging local unions who need workers to fill a labor shortage. “If we can get people started their senior year, it would help students out quite a bit and the building industry as a whole.”

Beatty says he is “trying to not get too excited” about a south middle school, if the bond issue passes. “A lot of the growth is in the southern part of the city. Right now, at the elementary and middle level we are seeing lots of growth. That will push into higher levels, and we need to be ready when that happens.”