Here’s a look at the 2025 candidates for Lawrence school board

Bob Byers filed on March 11. Byers has served on the board since July 2023 after the board appointed him to fill a vacancy. He was previously on the board from 2009 to 2013 and then again by appointment from 2014 to 2015. A retired developer of child welfare programs for Kansas, Byers helped develop the truancy program the district uses in addition to other services for Douglas County children and families.

Byers said it’s a pivotal time in the district as Jeanice Swift, an experienced educator and superintendent, enters her first year as the permanent superintendent after serving as the 2024-25 interim. He said he hopes to use his experience to help the district become more financially stable and increase staff wages.

“To continue this move forward, it will take a strong school board that understands its role and the important role of schools in this community,” he said via email. “It is not a time to cut services or close schools, but to right size and make strategic movements. With my level of experience, knowledge, and skills, I believe that I can move the district forward in this endeavor.”

ChrisTopher Niles Enneking filed on Feb. 21. Enneking attended the Lawrence Public Schools beginning in first grade and graduated high school 1995. He has prior experience coaching football and assisting students with behavioral concerns in public schools. He works for a few small cleaning companies and owns a sports technology company.

A parent of students in the district, he said he sees a lack of accountability from the current board.

“I’m running because our children and teachers no longer feel safe in our schools because of the admin’s policies of permissiveness,” Enneking said via email. “I’m running because I know the spirit of Lawrence has always been full of compassion and caring and I no longer see those values reflected in our districts decisions.”

Kelly Jones filed on Monday. She said she’s running for a third term because she loves Lawrence’s public schools and believes deeply in what they do “for our kids and community.”

“I’ve spent the last two terms helping lead through the challenges of COVID-19, and I’m committed to continuing that steady, experienced leadership as we face new pressures — from federal attacks on public education to state funding shifts that strain local budgets,” she said via email.

She said even in that context, work must continue to expand the district’s early childhood education, provide competitive wages and work-life balance for employees, improve arts and athletic facilities and craft innovative policies for artificial intelligence that support education equity.

“We can’t back down from our equity work. Every student and educator deserves to feel supported and inspired to succeed- academically, socially, and emotionally,” Jones said.

Shannon Kimball filed on Monday. Kimball, the longest-running incumbent on the board, was most recently reelected to a two-year term in 2023 after first joining the board in 2011. She works as government relations specialist for the Kansas Association of School Boards. She said her opposition to efforts to undermine public schools through vouchers and privatization has been central to her service on the board.

“As public education faces ongoing upheaval at the state and federal levels, I will bring steady, experienced leadership to help the district navigate these challenges, support students and educators, and ensure our community’s values guide our work,” Kimball said via email.

She said her reelection campaign will focus on “expanding student opportunities, supporting staff, improving communication with families, and advocating for strong public schools.”

Matt Lancaster filed on March 19. On his campaign Facebook page, he wrote that he has a decade of experience in middle school, high school and higher education as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and director.

He says he’s an “educator for educators” who believes his “experience, skillset, and ability to have the tough conversations will serve our students and our schools through difficult times.” 

Pam Shaw filed on May 28. Shaw said she believes every child should have access to an education.

A pediatrics professor and associate dean for medical education at the University of Kansas Medical Center, she said she knows about child development and special needs.

She moved to Lawrence in 2019, and she said she wants Lawrence Public Schools — the district her grandchildren will attend — “to be the best place for children to learn.”

Molly Starr filed on May 23. She has a background in health care architecture and works part-time as an architectural consultant and document designer.

Her campaign website, mollystarrlawrence.com, has FAQs, including information such as her goal to improve communication between the school board and citizens. She wrote that she’s grateful for her family’s experience here in Lawrence, and she “would like to give back to the community in an active way by listening to and advocating for Lawrence families, teachers, and educators at the school-board level.”