It was mixed partisan results for two Kansas State Board of Education seats impacting Johnson County.
Democrat Melanie Haas won a second term to represent Area 2 — which includes parts of the Blue Valley, Olathe and Shawnee Mission school districts — taking home 62% of the vote, according to unofficial final counts on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, former Republican state representative Connie O’Brien led over former USD 232 teacher and principal Kris Meyer for the Area 4 seat by a margin of 51% to 49%.
Area 4 covers parts of 11 counties, including Johnson County, and represents USD 232, Gardner-Edgerton, Olathe and Shawnee Mission on the state board. The seat was previously held by Democrat Ann Mah, who did not seek reelection.
O’Brien’s victory, paired with the win of another conservative candidate in a state board district in south-central Kansas, means the board’s ideological balance will shift rightward next year.
Some of the defining issues of this election included book bans, school choice and privatization and school standards.
When asked about the greatest challenges facing schools in Johnson County, each had their own target.
In Area 2, Haas focused on both fully funding schools and restoring trust in the public school system and teachers. Her opponent, Republican Fred Postlewait, a retired computer systems manager, wanted to see grades and test scores improve.
In Area 4, the Republican O’Brien wanted to see schools return to the basics of teaching, like reading, writing and math, among other courses, while Meyer advocated for wanting to see adequate funding for public schools and teacher retention.
In their campaigns, both Postlewait and O’Brien expressed a desire to get back to the fundamentals of learning, rather than getting caught up in today’s issues.
Meanwhile, Haas and Meyer pushed for more mental health resources for students and funding for teachers.
Area 2
Haas gave additional thoughts on what Tuesday night’s vote for her re-election means for Kansas schools.
“I think… Johnson County, in particular, really values public schools,” Haas said. “And that really came through (in the results).”
The Kansas State Board of Education’s 2nd District covers parts of Wyandotte and Johnson counties.
Melanie Haas, who was first elected in 2020, is a technology executive and entrepreneur, working with companies like DST Systems and Prairie Cube Media. She is also a supporter of programs that introduce children to concepts in technology and problem solving, like civil engineering and coding.
Area 4
The Kansas State Board of Education’s 4th District covers school districts in Johnson County as well as Coffey, Douglas, Franklin, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Lyon, Osage, Shawnee and Wabaunsee counties.
Connie O’Brien is a former Republican Kansas state representative from 2009 to 2017, as well as former director of religious education at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tonganoxie, 4-H leader and member of the Kansas Real Estate Commission for four years.
She did not immediately respond to the Post’s requests for comment.
Meyer noted that conservative Republicans, including O’Brien’s victory, picked up two seats on the state board, saying those candidates were “basically against public schools, as far as funding goes.”
“The future of our schools is in some trouble,” Meyer said Tuesday. “I fear that they’re going to Kansans are going to wake up and realize too late that, you know, a lot of federal money is probably going to get turned away because of how they voted, and it’s going to negatively impact our children and our educators.”
Meyer is a former teacher, with experience teaching in USD 232 in De Soto and serving as a school improvement specialist, associate high school principal, and principal of Starside Elementary from 2015 to 2021.
Post reporter Lucie Krisman contributed to this report.
