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Ben Blankley
Ben Blankley was a member of the Wichita Public Schools Board of Education in Kansas, representing District 1. He assumed office on January 8, 2018. He left office on January 10, 2022.
Blankley ran for re-election to the Wichita Public Schools Board of Education to represent District 1 in Kansas. He lost in the general election on November 2, 2021.
Blankley participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read his responses.
Elections
2021
See also: Wichita Public Schools, Kansas, elections (2021)
General election
General election for Wichita Public Schools, District 1
Diane Albert defeated incumbent Ben Blankley in the general election for Wichita Public Schools, District 1 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Diane Albert (Nonpartisan) | 56.1 | 15,313 |
 | Ben Blankley (Nonpartisan) | 43.5 | 11,876 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 98 | ||
| Total votes: 27,287 | |||
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Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Ben Blankley and Diane Albert advanced from the primary for Wichita Public Schools, District 1.
2017
- See also: Wichita Public Schools elections (2017)
Four of the seven seats on the Wichita Public Schools Board of Education in Kansas were up for general election on November 7, 2017. In her bid for re-election to the District 1 seat, incumbent Betty Arnold was defeated by Ben Blankley. District 5 incumbent Mike Rodee defeated challenger Peter Grant to win another term. District 2 incumbent Joy Eakins and District 6 incumbent Lynn Rogers did not file to run for re-election, which left their seats open for newcomers. Julie Hedrick, Trish Hileman, and Debra Washington ran for the District 2 seat. Walt Chappell, Shirley Jefferson, and Ron Rosales ran for the District 6 seat. Hedrick and Rosales won election to the board.[1][2]
Results
| Wichita Public Schools, District 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Ben Blankley |
49.86% | 7,766 |
| Betty Arnold Incumbent | 49.32% | 7,682 |
| Write-in votes | 0.82% | 128 |
| Total Votes | 15,576 | |
| Source: Sedgwick County Election Office, "November 7, 2017 General Election Official Results," accessed November 17, 2017 | ||
Funding
Blankley reported $1,630.00 in contributions and $635.48 in expenditures to the Sedgwick County Election Office, which left his campaign with $994.52 on hand in the election.[3]
Endorsements
Blankley was endorsed by Equality Kansas.[4]
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ben Blankley did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Ben Blankley participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[5] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on July 19, 2017:
| “ | I hope to achieve greater accountability and transparency with decisions made at the school board table. I look forward to trying to explain my votes, and have a healthier relationship with the local news media and the local student advocacy groups.[6][7] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Kansas. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | I believe our current magnet system in USD 259 is a good way to have school choice inside our district.[7] | ” |
| —Ben Blankley (July 19, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| No. Public funds should be used for public schools, with clear paths of public accountability and transparency. Charter schools do not have either of those accountability measures. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should defer to school board decisions in most cases. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| Yes. Standardized tests must be well designed, but when they are, they show an accurate portrait of achievement. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| Yes. Merit pay should be an additional bump, but not take away from COLA increases on base wages. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. Private schools should be supported only by private funds. Public schools are accountable, and constitutionally required to serve all students, regardless of ZIP code, family situation, or abilities. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Expulsion should only be a last resort, and only after criminal convictions on any offense have been resolved. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers Support of our teachers in their professional success will ensure their students are also successful. |
See also
2021 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Sedgwick County Election Office, "Current Candidate Listings: School District 259," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Sedgwick County Election Office, "November 7, 2017 General Election Unofficial Results," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Sedgwick County Election Office, "Public Access Search," accessed December 18, 2017
- ↑ Equality Kansas, "2017 Municipal and School Board Primary Election Endorsements," July 16, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Ben Blankley's responses," July 19, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Wichita Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Sedgwick County, Kansas | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | District 1: • Incumbent, Betty Arnold • Ben Blankley District 2: • Julie Hedrick • Trish Hileman • Debra Washington District 5: • Incumbent, Mike Rodee • Peter Grant District 6: • Walt Chappell • Shirley Jefferson • Ron Rosales |
| Important information: | What's at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
