Blue Springs School Board Election: Key Candidates & Endorsements

0:00Blue Springs folks head to the polls, Tuesday, April 7th, to pick three new school board members out of five candidates. The district serves nearly 15,000 students across towns, like Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Lee Summit, and Independence. Two current members, Kay Cohen and Vice President Jeff Seams, aren't running again, leaving just one incumbent, Rebecca Swink, fighting to stay on. Swink stepped up as board president last year after a messy scandal with her predecessor, and she's got backing from the local teachers union. She's deep in community work, chairing the Chamber Foundation, and leading development at Job 1 K.C. for folks with disabilities. The challengers bring diverse chops. Allison Johnston, a district alum with kids in the schools, works in program management at Oracle, and served on Pop Warner. Joseph Frago, a military vet with an MBA, handles finance at Honeywell, and has four kids enrolled. Ken Horrells, a scout leader, with union support, and his wife was a school perra for a decade.

1:01Joseph Donahue rounds it out, another Honeywell guy, and Washington University grad. Endorsements split neat teachers union for Swink and Hurrell, while a conservative group called Salt and Light backs Johnston, Frago, and Donahue, eats spots a three-year term. With trust and student success on the line, this vote shapes the district's next strategic moves. Keep an eye on those results come Wednesday. You've been listening to Kansas News today, AI-powered local news.