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Upset In KC School Board Race

Jon Hile holds election tally results giving him a seat on the Kansas City Board of Education.
Dan Verbeck
/
KCUR
Jon Hile holds election tally results giving him a seat on the Kansas City Board of Education.

Kansas City School District voters have chosen a newcomer to the Board of Education, replacing a long time voice in local education.35-year-old Jon Hile won the 1st Subdistrict by defeating Arthur Benson II.  Hile collected 498 votes, Benson 377 in the district that represents school patrons from the downtown south past Country Club Plaza, State Line to Troost.

It was the only one of four races to be counted last night.  The remainder are all write-in candidates and counting will take days.

Hile said after the count that he expects large changes.

"Collaboration is essential," he said. "This district, for the last 35 years, has not worked well with other entities. We look at the relationship we have with surrounding districts. We look at relationships we have with  institutions within our district. We have not done a good job collaborating with other organizations or other public entities.  I think that also extends to our relationship with the state."

School Board Chair Airick Leonard West said last night he thinks the interest  shown by a dozen write-in candidates will prove to the Missouri Education Commissioner and the state legislature that the District is committed to change to regain accreditation.

West ran for reelection as a write-in candidate and results in his race have not been fully tallied. 

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