TOPEKA — Far-right Republicans were poised to win two of five seats up for election on the Kansas State Board of Education, shifting the board’s power to a conservative bloc.

With moderate board members on their way out and four conservatives already in place, the board is positioned for an ideological shake-up. Candidates differentiated themselves along the campaign trail on issues like parental rights, public school funding and school safety.

Democrats appeared to maintain three positions on the board, based on unofficial results late Tuesday from the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office.

Incumbent Democrat Melanie Haas appeared to win reelection in the 2nd District with 62% of the votes in a three-way race and all precincts reporting.

She faced Republican challenger Fred Postlewait and independent Kiel Corkran for the seat that represents public school districts in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

“Kansans were actually doing their homework,” Haas said by phone from a watch party in Overland Park. “They realized Democrats are the ones who are supporting their public schools.”

The conservative bloc of candidates used “issues like culture wars to try to kind of pick a fight,” without a “background in professional education,” said Haas, who was first elected in 2020 and is the board’s current chair.

In the northeastern 4th District, Republican Connie O’Brien and Democrat Kris Meyer were embroiled in a close race most of the night. O’Brien led Meyer by 2 percentage points, according to preliminary results.

O’Brien did not respond to Kansas Reflector’s request for comment.

Meyer said the results did not look good “for the future of Kansas education,” as “ultra conservative candidates that are looking to eradicate public schools” are positioned to take over majority voting power on the board.

“But we’ll keep working hard in the field to support our teachers and make sure our local boards are prepared for what is down the road,” she said.

Democrat Beryl New, a former Topeka educator, led Republican Bruce Schultz, a retired professor of anatomy and physiology at Kansas State University, with about 57% of votes for the 6th District seat, which encompasses school districts in the Lawrence and Topeka areas, according to early results. The current board member, Republican Deena Horst, chose not to seek reelection. 

“There are conversations about vouchers, about privatizing education, and I know people have reasons for their agendas, but what we ought to always remember is that there are young people whose families cannot afford anything other than public education,” New said Tuesday.

New also said she recognizes the reasons for school vouchers and privatizing education, but public schools are often the only option for families.

“So to keep that opportunity safe, we have to keep all our resources going in that direction to make sure every child, whether their parents are millionaires or their parents live in the rescue mission, that they can be guaranteed a high-quality public education with all the resources they need, with public funding going directly in public schools,” she said. 

In the Wichita-area 8th District, Democratic incumbent Betty Arnold led Republican Jason Carmichael with 54% of votes, per early results.

In the 10th District in south-central Kansas, early results show Debby Potter, a conservative Republican, leading Jeffrey Jarman, a Democrat, with 60% of votes in a three-way race.

“This is a seat that normally runs unopposed,” Potter said. 

She said she has been visiting Topeka for the past three years in preparation for a seat on the board.

“I’m just ready to do what I’ve been preparing for for the past three years,” she said.

This year’s early Republican winners align with the current board’s conservative faction on issues like strengthening religion in schools, arming teachers, installing parental oversight of instructional and functional decisions and reevaluating public school funding. 

The Democratic candidates have promoted fully funding public schools and rejecting voucher programs that could detract from that funding.

In the 4th District, O’Brien, a former teacher and state representative, beat out two other Republican hopefuls in the August primary to clinch the general election nomination. Her Democratic opponent, Meyer, has been outspoken about the board’s current conservative members. Those four board members — Danny Zeck, Michelle Dombrosky, Cathy Hopkins and Dennis Hershberger — are not up for reelection until 2026. O’Brien has characterized herself in the past as a conservative.

The 4th District seat is being vacated by Democrat Ann Mah, who didn’t seek reelection. She said she worries a shift to the right could mean a continued rejection of federal funding, inadequate mental health resources for students and further departure from technical education opportunities.

“I think we’ve been doing some good things for kids that would be put at risk if the board changes direction,” she said.

The 10th District in south-central Kansas was contested in a three-way race. Jarman, a Democrat and professor, Potter, a conservative Republican, and Kent Rowe, an independent and active Green Party member, vied for the position vacated by moderate Republican Jim McNiece.

The state board is tasked with oversight of the Kansas State Department of Education and supervision of public schools, but it has little control over state funding, a responsibility of the legislative branch.

Election totals have not yet been finalized, and 3,447 of Kansas’ 4,126 precincts were reporting preliminary results as of 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.

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