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Olathe Public Schools Unified School District 233 elections (2015)

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2015 Olathe Public Schools Elections

Primary Election date:
March 3, 2015
General Election date:
April 7, 2015
Table of Contents
About the district
Method of election
Elections
What was at stake?
Key deadlines
Additional elections
External links
See also
Kansas
Olathe Public Schools USD 233
Johnson County, Kansas ballot measures
Local ballot measures, Kansas
Flag of Kansas.png

Four seats on the Olathe Public Schools Unified School District 233 Board of Education were up for election on April 7, 2015. A primary election for the at-large Position 7 seat was scheduled for March 3, 2015.

Position 1 incumbent LeEtta Felter, Position 2 incumbent Richard Schier, Position 4 incumbent Debora Daniels and at-large Position 7 incumbent Harlan Parker were up for re-election. Daniels and Parker did not file to run in this election.[1]

Felter defeated challenger Jim Poe in her re-election bid, while Schier won re-election without opposition. Shannon Wickliffe won the open Position 4 seat without opposition.[1][2]

Four candidates filed for the open at-large Position 7: Joe Beveridge, Scott Enge, Robyn Essex and Elizabeth Howerton.[1] Because more than three candidates filed for the position, a primary election was held. Essex and Beveridge advanced to the general election as they were the top two vote recipients in the primary.

This is the first time a primary election for the board was held since the institution of 2011 Session Law Chapter 112, which reduced the number of candidates that advance from school board primaries from three to two.[3] Beveridge triumphed over Essex in the general election.[2]

The 2015 election marked the last spring election for school boards statewide. House Bill 2104 was signed into law by Governor of Kansas Sam Brownback (R) on June 8, 2015. Another bill, Senate Bill 171, originally proposed moving the school board elections to November of even-numbered years, in line with statewide general elections, and would have made all school boards into partisan offices.

HB 2104 did not change the nonpartisan nature of the boards, but it did move their general elections to November of odd-numbered years. A number of school boards across the state opposed the more drastic changes proposed by SB 171, particularly the possibility of partisan elections.

Election changes were not the only point of contention between the state government and Kansas school boards in 2015; all districts also had to adapt to changes in state funding for education due to budget shortfalls.

Income tax reductions in 2012 and 2013 championed by Brownback were blamed by some as the cause of the state's financial woes and, therefore, the reason cuts to education spending were considered. Supporters of the changes emphasized the state's decade-old education funding formula as being the real reason a funding overhaul was necessary. Regardless of the cause, legislation was passed issuing block grants to public school districts while legislators debated how to replace the repealed 1995 funding formula.

The April election was not the first time district residents voted in 2015: a mail ballot election in January overwhelmingly approved a 2 percent increase in the local option budget.

One candidate in this election participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 school board candidate survey.

See also: What was at stake in the 2015 Olathe Public Schools elections?

About the district

See also: Olathe Public Schools Unified School District 233, Kansas
Olathe Public Schools Unified School District 233 is located in Johnson County, Kan.

Olathe Public Schools Unified School District 233 is located in Johnson County in northeastern Kansas. The county seat of Johnson County is Olathe. Johnson County was home to an estimated 566,933 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[4] Olathe Public Schools was the fourth-largest school district by enrollment in Kansas and served 28,182 students in the 2011-2012 school year.

Demographics

Johnson County outperformed the rest of Kansas in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 51.7 percent of Johnson County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 30.3 percent for Kansas as a whole. The median household income in Johnson County was $74,717 compared to $51,332 for the state of Kansas. The poverty rate in Johnson County was 6.5 percent compared to 13.7 percent for the entire state.[4]

Racial Demographics, 2013[4]
Race Johnson
County (%)
Kansas (%)
White 87.8 87.1
Black or African American 4.9 6.2
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.4 1.2
Asian 4.6 2.7
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.0 0.1
Two or More Races 2.3 2.7
Hispanic or Latino 7.4 11.2

Presidential Voting Pattern,
Johnson County[5]
Year Republican Vote Democratic Vote
2012 158,401 110526
2008 152,627 127,091
2004 158,103 97,866
2000 129,965 79,118

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Voter and candidate information

The Olathe Public Schools Board of Education is composed of seven members who are elected to four-year terms. Either three or four seats are up for regular election at each time. There are three districts which each have two representative on the board, and the seventh member is elected at large. The at-large seat is Position 7. District 1 is represented by Positions 1 and 4, District 2 by Positions 2 and 5 and District 3 by Positions 3 and 6.

Both District 1 seats, one District 2 seat and the at-large position were up for election in 2015.

House Bill 2104 made this the last election for the district to be held in the spring of an odd-numbered year. Signed into law by Governor of Kansas Sam Brownback (R) on June 8, 2015, the law changed school board election dates to November of odd-numbered years.

Candidates had to file a petition containing 50 signatures or pay a filing fee of $5 by January 27, 2015. Because more than three candidates filed for the Position 7 seat, a primary election was held on March 3, 2015. The general election for all of the seats up for election was April 7, 2015.[6]

Voters had to register by February 10, 2015, to vote in the primary election. The voter registration deadline for the general election was March 17, 2015.

Elections

2015

Candidates

District 1: Position 1

LeEtta Felter Green check mark transparent.png Jim Poe

LeEtta Felter.jpg

  • Incumbent, member from 2011-2015
  • Owner, truck and equipment dealership

Jim Poe.PNG

  • Retired, railroad management
  • Vietnam veteran,
    United States Marine Corps, 1967-1971

District 1: Position 4

Shannon Wickliffe Green check mark transparent.png

Shannon Wickliffe.jpg

  • Director of treasury services, First National Bank
  • Member, Olathe Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors

District 2: Position 2

Richard Schier Green check mark transparent.png

Richard Schier.jpg

  • Incumbent, member from 2011-2015
  • Senior vice president, CommunityAmerica Credit Union

At-large: Position 7

Joe Beveridge Green check mark transparent.png Robyn Essex

Joe Beveridge.jpg

  • M.S., University of Nebraska
    at Omaha
  • Bachelor's degree,
    University of Kansas
  • Owner and president,
    Solid Ground Environmental

Robyn Essex.jpg

Candidates defeated in the primary

Scott Enge Elizabeth Howerton

Scott Enge.jpg

  • M.S., Baker University
  • B.S., Emporia State University
  • President, ACT Sports Services, LLC

Elizabeth Howerton.jpg

  • Bachelor's degree, Park University
  • Sergeant and recruiter,
    Kansas Army National Guard

District map

Olathe Public Schools Board of Education districts map.jpg

Election results

District 1: Position 1
Olathe Public Schools USD 233,
District 1 Position 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngLeEtta Felter Incumbent 69.1% 4,563
     Nonpartisan Jim Poe 30.8% 2,034
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.2% 10
Total Votes 6,607
Source: Johnson County Election Office, "Election Summary Report 2015 Spring General," April 13, 2015
District 1: Position 4
Olathe Public Schools USD 233,
District 1 Position 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngShannon Wickliffe 99.3% 5,225
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.7% 37
Total Votes 5,262
Source: Johnson County Election Office, "Election Summary Report 2015 Spring General," April 13, 2015
District 2: Position 2
Olathe Public Schools USD 233,
District 2 Position 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngRichard Schier Incumbent 99.1% 5,161
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.9% 47
Total Votes 5,208
Source: Johnson County Election Office, "Election Summary Report 2015 Spring General," April 13, 2015
At-large: Position 7
General
Olathe Public Schools USD 233,
At-Large Position 7 General Election, 4-year term, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Beveridge 52% 3,777
     Nonpartisan Robyn Essex 48% 3,487
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.1% 5
Total Votes 7,269
Source: Johnson County Election Office, "Election Summary Report 2015 Spring General," April 13, 2015
Primary
Olathe Public Schools USD 233,
At-Large Position 7 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngRobyn Essex 43.3% 1,413
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Beveridge 35.2% 1,147
     Nonpartisan Scott Enge 11.8% 386
     Nonpartisan Elizabeth Howerton 9.7% 317
Total Votes 3,263
Source: Johnson County Election Office, “Election Summary Report 2015 Spring Primary: Official Final Results,” accessed March 3, 2015

Endorsements

Joe Beveridge and LeEtta Felter were endorsed by The Kansas City Star.[7]

Beveridge was also endorsed by the following:[8]

  • Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm
  • Lenexa City Council Members Tom Nolte and Diane Linver
  • Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach
  • Olathe Mayor Pro Tem Jim Randall
  • Olathe City Council Member Wes McCoy
  • MainPAC

Campaign finance

See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2015
Campaign Finance Ballotpedia.png

Candidates received a total of $13,118.37 and spent a total of $13,118.37 in this election, according to the Johnson County Election Office. The contributions totals in this section include in-kind contributions. Some candidates submitted contributions and expenditures through candidate committee reports that were not accessible through the Johnson County Election website as of June 1, 2015. The "cash on hand" totals include funds left over from previous campaigns.[9]

Candidates who intended to receive or expend less than $500.00 in their campaign were allowed to file a K.S.A. 25-904(a) form called an "Affidavit of Exemption" attesting to those intentions. Candidates' contributions to their own campaigns were included in those limits. If a candidate subsequently exceeded these limits after filing as exempt, he or she would be required to comply with the reporting requirements from that point forward.[9]

Candidate Contributions Expenditures Cash on hand
District 1: Position 1
LeEtta Felter $3,152.94 $3,152.94 $0.00
Jim Poe Filed Affidavit of Exemption $0.00
District 1: Position 4
Shannon Wickliffe $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
District 2: Position 2
Richard Schier Filed Affidavit of Exemption $58.64
At-large : Position 7
Joe Beveridge $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Scott Enge Filed Affidavit of Exemption $0.00
Robyn Essex $9,965.43 $9,965.43 $0.00
Elizabeth Howerton $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Past elections

What was at stake?

2015

Two newcomers were guaranteed to join the board, and one incumbent was guaranteed to retain his seat in the 2015 school board election. Only newcomers filed for Positions 4 and 7, and incumbent Richard Schier was unopposed in his re-election bid for Position 2. District 1 incumbent LeEtta Felter was the only incumbent to file and face a challenger, Jim Poe.

Olathe Public Schools, , like the rest of Kansas' public schools, saw funding changes from the state in early 2015. However, district residents also approved a 2 percent increase in the local option budget in January 2015. Additionally, its election system changed from a spring cycle to a fall system.

Issues in the district

State education funding cuts
See also: Kansas state budget and finances

A looming state budget deficit of $600 million led the state legislature to approve a block-grant funding system to replace the state's public school funding formula.[10] Governor of Kansas Sam Brownback (R) had proposed that $44.5 million be cut from state funding for education to make up for budgetary shortcomings on February 5, 2015.[11]

Cuts proposed by governor

Gov. Sam Brownback (R)

Of the total cuts Brownback suggested, $28 million would have come from elementary and secondary education funding, while another $16 million would have been taken from higher education funding. Olathe Public Schools was poised to lose about $1.5 million as a result of the cuts.[11]

Critics of Brownback pointed to his campaign promises supporting education in 2013. Kansas State Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (D-19) called the move, “just another deception [Brownbeck] put upon the voters of Kansas." Brownback's spokesperson, however, has stated that the governor “has consistently maintained that the education funding formula is broken and reform is needed to ensure more money goes to the classroom to benefit Kansas students."[11]

Income taxes blamed and defended
Some blamed the income tax reductions signed into law by the governor for the significant shortfall looming for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015. Income tax cuts were championed by Brownback and passed by the Legislature in 2012 and 2013. In 2015, the state had to reassess its spending and consider new forms of revenue. Possible revenue sources that were considered included raising taxes on cigarettes and alcohol or changing tax assessments for farmland, gasoline, and sales and passive income.[10] In 2013, the state collected $2.96 billion in individual income taxes, which made up 38.80 percent of the state's tax collections.[12]

Brownback defended the income tax cuts and pushed for consumption taxes to replace lost funds in April 2015. “I still want to get away from the income tax. Over time, I would like to see us move toward the consumption basket of taxes," he stated at that time. He also voiced support for a higher sales tax. The governor remained vague about exactly which consumption taxes might be used but noted his support for tax increases on cigarettes and alcohol.[12]

At the same time, Brownback responded to criticisms over the fact that he shared budget information prior to the legislative session with David Kensinger, his former chief of staff and current lobbyist for Reynolds American tobacco company. Brownback defended the move, saying, “What I try to do is get as much input from people as possible. I’ve tried to operate most of my public career in trying to solicit lots of input. I wish he wasn’t lobbying for that group. He’s free to do what he’s doing.”[12]

Legislative response
In response to Brownback's proposal, the Kansas State Legislature outlined a plan in March 2015 to fund public schools with block grants for two years while they rewrite the school funding formula. According to The Kansas City Star, the block grants would provide an increase of more than $4.2 billion for the 2016-2017 school year, which would represent a 9 percent increase from the 2013-2014 allocations. Additionally, the block grants would return the 2014-2015 district allocations to the amounts they were set at before Brownback announced his planned budget cuts. Whether or not these funds actually indicate an increase in classroom spending and how the Legislature would pay for the increase in funding remained unclear as of the bill's introduction.[10]

Democratic legislators criticized the bill, arguing that the majority of the additional funding would go toward retirement and meeting the requirements of a 2014 Kansas Supreme Court ruling mandating more funding for schools. Sen. Hensley argued, "Their proposal does not do what they claim it’s going to do. It does not allocate $300 million in new money, nor does it put more money into the classroom.”[10]

Sen. Susan Wagle (R-30)

In a 64 to 57 vote on March 13, 2015, the House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 7, a plan to overhaul the state's 13-year-old school finance system. State law required at least 63 votes in favor of the measure for it to pass the House. The bill was immediately moved back to the Senate. This prevented any motions to reconsider the House vote. On March 16, 2015, the Senate approved the revised bill 25 to 14. Because the bill sent back from the House had been a Senate bill with additions from the House, senators only had to vote yes or no to the House revisions and were not able to offer amendments. The bill was signed into law by Brownbeck on March 25, 2015.[13][14]

The approved bill replaced the current system with block grants for two years while the funding formula is overhauled. Republican leaders argued that the state's funding formula, which is based on a per-pupil formula and includes weighting for bilingual and low-income students, was broken. Senate President Susan Wagle (R-30), who voted in favor of the old formula in 1992 and in favor of SB 7, said, "We are no longer talking about student outcomes and student achievement. We’re fighting for money."[14]

Sen. Tom Holland (D-3)

Not all of her colleagues agreed that SB 7 was a solution to education funding woes. Some senators objected to how quickly the bill was passed and to the lack of discussion before the final Senate vote on the matter. Sen. Tom Holland (D-3) voted against the measure and said:

While Charles and David Koch may have won this particular battle, Kansas families can at least take some small measure of comfort in knowing that our Kansas courts — as yet uncorrupted by the supply-side ideology cancer that has metastasized Kansas’ legislative and executive branches of government — that they are keeping a watchful eye on this Legislature’s actions.[15]
—Sen. Tom Holland (D-3) (2015)[14]

Judicial response
Holland was referencing judicial action taken the same day the House passed SB 7, when a three-judge district court panel ordered the reopening of a school funding lawsuit that had been settled in 2014. The lawsuit was settled after the Legislature equalized funding between districts through increased allocations, but the new court order reopened the equity portion of the case. It also added new state officials to the list of defendants in the case, including the state treasurer and revisor of statutes. The panel announced that it might issue temporary orders blocking the recent legislative action if necessary "to preserve the status quo and to assure the availability of relief, if any, that might be accorded should the Court deem relief warranted.”[14][16]

Election date changes

Early legislative action in 2015 could have made all Kansas school board elections into partisan races held in November of even-numbered years. Those changes were not approved, but a smaller change was signed into law on June 8, 2015; House Bill 2104 changed all school board election dates to November of odd-numbered years.

HB 2104
HB 2104 was introduced to the Kansas House of Representatives on January 23, 2015, and sponsored by the House Elections Committee. The house approved the measure 69 to 54 on February 26, 2015. Following the withdrawal of a similar senate bill, HB 2104 was approved by the senate by a vote of 28 to 12.[17]

The portion of the Conference Committee Report of the bill relating to the election date changes states:

The bill would move all elections for office holders of local governments currently held in the spring of odd-numbered years to the fall of odd-numbered years, with one exception (described below). In general, the elections would remain nonpartisan, although a city could choose to make its elections partisan. Sections to be added to the law, Sections 7, 8, and 13 through 16, would be cited as the Help Kansas Vote Act.

Beginning in 2017, the election dates for the specified units of local government would mirror the election dates for the elections held in even-numbered years. That is, the primary election would be held on the first Tuesday in August, and the general election would be held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. The elections, to be administered by the county election officers, would be consolidated into one ballot, which would be prescribed by the Secretary of State through rules and regulations. Those entities currently with district method elective offices (i.e., cities and school districts) would retain that authority.[15]

—HB 2104 Conference Committee Report (2015)[18]

SB 171

Sen. Mitch Holmes (R-33) introduced SB 171 on February 9, 2015.

On February 9, 2015, Sen. Mitch Holmes (R-33) introduced Senate Bill 171 to the Ethics, Elections and Local Government Committee. The bill, as it was initially introduced, would have moved school board and other local elections to November in even-numbered years, in addition to changing school boards from their current nonpartisan status by requiring candidates to declare party affiliations.[19]

Supporters claimed that moving the school board elections to a date when there are more elections would increase voter turnout for such races as well as reduce the costs of printing the number of current ballot variations. Others questioned whether or not a move would actually improve turnout, as it would place school board elections on an already lengthy ballot.[20]

The bill was amended before being approved 21 to 18 by the Senate on February 26, 2015.[19] The approved version would move school board and other local elections to the November general election date in odd-numbered years. It removed the language that would have made those elections partisan. During the debate of the revised version, Holmes expressed frustration with the resistance to moving local elections. He argued that such a move would increase voter turnout and bring greater transparency to local government, saying that such offices are "elected on a day that nobody notices."[21]

Holmes also argued that the disproportionately white city council of Ferguson, Mo., was caused by holding off-year elections and postulated that "minorities vote better in on-cycle elections than off-cycle elections." Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau (D-29), the first African American woman elected to the State Senate and one of the two African American members of the body, dismissed this argument, saying, “I don’t live in Ferguson. I don’t know anybody who lived there. ... We’re here in Kansas."[21]

On March 4, 2015, the revised Senate bill was introduced in the House of Representatives. The House Elections Committee recommended the revised bill be approved with some amendments regarding date changes in the law on March 19, 2015. The measure was withdrawn from the Senate calendar shortly thereafter.[19]

Local option budget question

On January 27, 2015, a mail ballot election approved a 2 percent increase in the district's local option budget (LOB). The LOB provides funding from local funding for teachers and classroom instruction to supplement the district's general fund, which was set at 31 percent by the state. School districts were allowed to increase their LOBs by two percent in 2014. While the board approved the increase, it had to be voted upon by district residents to remain in place. According to materials provided by the school district, $4 million in the school budget would have been cut or reallocated if the question had not passed.[22]

Voters approved the LOB increase by over 79 percent. Turnout for the vote was 27.99 percent.[23]

Olathe Public Schools USD No. 233 Question (2015)
ResultVotesPercentage
Approveda Yes 18,794 79.11%
No4,95220.84%

Ballotpedia survey responses

One of the eight candidates in this election participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates as of February 12, 2015. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from Position 1 incumbent LeEtta Felter.

Top priorities
LeEtta Felter

When asked what her top priorities would be if elected, Felter stated:

I am the current President of the Olathe School Board. My priority would be to continue to work hard to make sure that our district remains the outstanding K-12 district that it is and to continually improve.[15]
—LeEtta Felter (2015)[24]
Ranking the issues

The candidates were asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays the candidates' rankings from most to least important:

Issue importance ranking
Issue Position 1
Felter's
ranking
Balancing or maintaining the district's budget
3
Closing the achievement gap
2
Expanding arts education
5
Expanding career-technical education
6
Expanding school choice options
7
Improving college readiness
1
Improving education for special needs students
4
Positions on the issues

The candidates were asked to answer 10 multiple choice and short answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. A links to the candidate's responses can be found below.

Key deadlines

The following were the key deadlines for the 2015 Kansas school board election cycle:[25]

Deadline Event
January 27, 2015 Candidate filing deadline
February 10, 2015 Voter registration deadline for primary election
February 21, 2015 In-person advance primary voting begins
March 3, 2015 Primary election
March 17, 2015 Voter registration deadline for general election
March 28, 2015 In-person advance voting begins
April 7, 2015 General Election Day
July 1, 2015 Election winners begin terms

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: Kansas elections, 2015

The April 7, 2015, ballot was the general election ballot for county, municipal and other local offices. The election included races for Mayor and Council Members of Olathe, Johnson County Community College Trustees and Water District Board Members.[26]

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Olathe Public Schools Unified School District Kansas. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

Olathe Public Schools Unified School District 233 Kansas School Boards
School Board badge.png
Seal of Kansas.png
School Board badge.png


External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Johnson County Election Office, "Candidates - Spring 2015 Unofficial Listing," accessed January 28, 2015
  2. 2.0 2.1 Johnson County Election Office, "Unofficial Partial Results - Advance," accessed April 7, 2015
  3. Kansas Secretary of State, "2011 Session Laws of Kansas Vol. 2, Chapter 112," July 1, 2011
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 United States Census Bureau, "Johnson County, Kansas," accessed December 30, 2014
  5. Johnson County Election Office, "Election History by Year," accessed December 30, 2014
  6. Justia US Law, "2013 Kansas Statutes: Chapter 25 ELECTIONS, Article 20 SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTIONS," accessed January 6, 2015
  7. The Kansas City Star, "Editorial: Strong school leaders needed in stormy times," March 24, 2015
  8. MainePAC, "MainPAC Endorsements," accessed March 25, 2015
  9. 9.0 9.1 Johnson County Elections Office, "Campaign & Committee Reports," accessed June 1, 2015
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 The Kansas City Star, "Legislative leaders unveil plan to fund Kansas schools with block grants," March 5, 2015
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 The Kansas City Star, "Gov. Sam Brownback is cutting aid to Kansas schools by $44.5 million," February 6, 2015
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 The Kansas City Star, "Brownback advocates consumption tax as income tax alternative in Kansas," April 2, 2015
  13. Open States, "SB 7 - Kansas 2015-2016 Regular Session," accessed March 26, 2015
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Lawrence Journal-World, "Kansas Senate passes Brownback’s school funding overhaul," March 16, 2015
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  16. The Wichita Eagle, "Court reopens lawsuit as Kansas House narrowly passes school finance overhaul," March 14, 2015
  17. Open States, "HB 2104 - Kansas 2015-2016 Regular Session," accessed June 4, 2015
  18. Kansas State Legislature, "Second Conference Committee Report Brief: House Bill No. 2104," accessed June 4, 2015
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 Kansas State Legislature, "Bills and Resolutions: SB171," accessed June 4, 2015
  20. Lawrence Journal-World, "Lawrence school board opposes moving local elections to November," February 9, 2015
  21. 21.0 21.1 The Wichita Eagle, "Moving local elections from spring to fall approved by Kansas Senate," February 26, 2015
  22. Olathe Public Schools, "Frequently Asked Questions About the L.O.B.," accessed February 11, 2-15
  23. Jefferson County Clerk, "USD MAIL BALLOT ELECTION: OFFICIAL FINAL REPORTS," February 2, 2015
  24. Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2015, "LeEtta Felter's responses," February 12, 2015
  25. Kansas Secretary of State, "2015 City & School Election Calendar ," accessed January 6, 2015
  26. Johnson County Election Office, "Candidates - Spring 2015 Unofficial Listing," accessed January 6, 2015