Superintendent's Supporters Dominate KCMSD Elections

Kansas City, Mo. – A slate of candidates who support the school closure plan dominated yesterday's election for Kansas City Missouri's school board. The candidates ran on a slate put together by a new organization called Kansas Citians United for Educational Achievement.

Former mayoral staffer Crispin Rea and former district teacher Kyleen Carroll won the two open at-large seats. And in the fourth sub-district in central Kansas City, parent leader Joseph Jackson won almost 70 percent of the vote. Carroll said the vote was a show of the support for the Superintendent and his vision for the district.

"That's what I told every single voter today," Carroll said. "We're not going backwards. We're sticking to it as-is, and it's time to move forward. Next item on the agenda is the transformation plan."

Board president Marilyn Simmons was also re-elected unopposed in the fifth subdistrict, and member Derek Richey, who was originally appointed, was elected in the second sub-district.

The first meeting of the new school board is a week from tomorrow, when members are expected to elect a new president.