The 10-member Kansas State Board of Education will have five new members when it convenes in January following the November general elections. Five incumbents declined to seek re-election to the board, beset by controversies and a decision to lower standards in an effort to stem the declines in student achievement.
The candidates and their biographies are taken from their campaign websites:
In District 1, Republican Amy Cawvey, a former Lansing School Board member, will oppose Democrat and former educator Jennifer Lloyd.
In District 3, Democrat Ann Diediker, a former teacher from Olathe, faces Republican Jim McMullen, a former member of the Blue Valley board.
District 5 features Republican Jean Clifford seeking a return to the state school board she served on from 2019-2023, facing Democrat Lorie Wood, a former educator.
In District 7, Democrat Ann Zimmerman, a lawyer and former teacher, takes on Republican Alana McWilliams, a small business owner.
And District 9 offers a showdown between Republican Destry Brown, a retired educator and small business owner, and Democrat Heather Guernsey, a former school board member in Chanute.
