Trish Hileman

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Trish Hileman

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 4, 2020

Contact

Personal website

Trish Hileman (Republican Party) ran for election to the Kansas State Board of Education to represent District 8. Hileman lost in the Republican primary on August 4, 2020.

Elections

2020

See also: Kansas State Board of Education election, 2020

General election

General election for Kansas State Board of Education District 8

Betty Arnold defeated incumbent Kathy Busch in the general election for Kansas State Board of Education District 8 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Betty Arnold (D)	51.4	49,467
		Kathy Busch (R)	48.6	46,821

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 96,288
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 8

Betty Arnold advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 8 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Betty Arnold	100.0	15,375

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,375
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 8

Incumbent Kathy Busch defeated Trish Hileman in the Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 8 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathy Busch	61.5	11,242
		Trish Hileman	38.5	7,043

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,285
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2019

See also: Wichita Public Schools, Kansas, elections (2019)

General election

General election for Wichita Public Schools, At-large

Incumbent Sheril Logan defeated Joseph Shepard in the general election for Wichita Public Schools, At-large on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sheril Logan (Nonpartisan)	52.8	17,666
		Joseph Shepard (Nonpartisan)	46.6	15,606
		Other/Write-in votes	0.6	202

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,474
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Wichita Public Schools, At-large

Joseph Shepard and incumbent Sheril Logan defeated Trish Hileman and Brent Davis in the primary for Wichita Public Schools, At-large on August 6, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Shepard (Nonpartisan)	32.9	5,452
✔		Sheril Logan (Nonpartisan)	29.8	4,925
		Trish Hileman (Nonpartisan)	24.7	4,089
		Brent Davis (Nonpartisan)	12.6	2,088

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,554
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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.

Results

Wichita Public Schools, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Julie Hedrick	43.24%	6,665
Trish Hileman	34.86%	5,373
Debra Washington	21.40%	3,299
Write-in votes	0.49%	76
Total Votes		15,413
Source: Sedgwick County Election Office, "November 7, 2017 General Election Official Results," accessed November 17, 2017

Funding

See also: Campaign finance in the Wichita Public Schools elections

Hileman reported $5,748.88 in contributions and $5,350.69 in expenditures to the Sedgwick County Election Office, which left her campaign with $398.19 on hand in the election.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Trish Hileman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Trish Hileman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hileman's responses.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

A great education for all students- specifically bringing up learning achievements of poor and of color- Wichita suffers from a large achievement gap for students of color and poverty. Transparency- we must do our District's business in an open and transparent way, discussing our questions and explaining our reasoning for decisions. Connection to the Community- our parents, businesses and community members have a large stake in the outcomes of our education system and we must be better connect and get input from them- this is even written into our policy and we so far have ignored it.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education- it is the largest single budget item in our State and the most impactful role our government can have. I believe a good education will open doors for people of color, in poverty, and supply the workforce a growing economy runs on. Ensuring that our Schools use the public's monies efficiently to secure a meaningful education for it's citizens is key to ensuring the public continues to support that education system. We must show results with the increased funding we have received and our graduates must know how to show up to work on time and be able to read, write and do math proficiently or we have wasted our communities resources.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2017

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey

Trish Hileman participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates. In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on October 14, 2017:

“

I hope to increase engagement in our schools with our parents and community. I hope to increase the transparency of our District by having difficult discussions out in the open of public meetings, allowing the public to hear the thought processes and decision making process going on in our District. I hope to partner with teachers and communicate a deep level of respect and appreciation for their profession, encouraging them to come to the profession, thrive and increase learning opportunities for all students.

”

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
1	Improving post-secondary readiness
2	Closing the achievement gap
3	Improving education for special needs students
4	Improving relations with teachers
5	Balancing or maintaining the district's budget
6	Expanding school choice options
7	Expanding arts education

“	As a BOE member I will filter all questions through the thought of what is best for the education of children. My answers have focused on Education, which includes teachers and their needs. Each of these statements are incredibly important to schools and must be addressed, my ranking shows my priority for putting student's education first.	”
—Trish Hileman (October 14, 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. There is currently no way for a charter school to be set up in Wichita that would not take money from the Public Schools in place (that I know of). Until our Legislature is able to pass laws that hold public funding for education harmless, I do not want to take funding from Pubic Schools to set up or pay for a charter school.
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. The state and districts should have a two way communication system, ensuring good decisions on both sides.
Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement?
No. I have two very bright children who know subject matter and read and write well and they consistently do poorly on standardized tests, they have autism. I think standardized tests are not necessarily an accurate metric of student achievement, but they are a necessary measuring stick that allows a community to see whether the general education of it's students is progressing well, falling behind or whether achievement gaps are growing or shrinking. The data isn't perfect, but it is necessary.
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?
Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district.
Should teachers receive merit pay?
Yes. I do not know how this would work. This is a tough subject that has so many factors playing roles it has been difficult to conquer. Not all classrooms are created equal, students are not manufacturing processes to be maximized and issues of student movement (to different schools), language learning, incoming abilities etc. all come into play, whether a teacher is able to achieve certain test scores. When a professional is particularly good at their job, it improves morale if that can be recognized with pay, and it creates an environment where professionals realize that hard work "pays off" literally. I have never seen someone with a suggested system that would be fair and so I have never supported a particular system.
Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program?
Yes. IF the state chooses to fund private schools outside of the Public Education funding stream (which is sufficient to teach all public children to a high level) then the state has freedom to make that decision. I think if the state provides public funds to private schools it then needs to ensure that these private schools meet all the criterion the public schools must in accepting all students (regardless of ability or need), accountability, testing and accreditation. In my opinion this would increase costs and strip private schools of the things that make them a unique option for parents and would ultimately be harmful to our thriving private school system.
How should expulsion be used in the district?
With all the e-school, district supported home school and alternative schools available in our district, I cannot see the need for expulsion- but I have not been on a BOE before.
What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration?
Parent involvement. The number one indicator for Student success period is their Parent's involvement, number two is the Teacher. In our society we have little (but not no) control over parent's actions/involvement, but we can ensure that our teachers are empowered, equipped and able to provide a great education to students.

Candidate website

Hileman highlighted the following issues on her campaign website:

“	We Can Do It! Pursuing a great education for all Wichita's children. I don't pretend to be an expert on all the below issues and understand that if elected, I may get "schooled" on some of these positions and change my mind. That is part of the process, and one I will take on with integrity and compassion. I also want people to know what I am thinking now (transparent)- engage me in conversation is you disagree, I welcome that. I want to represent our community's values and vision. Educator Morale USD 259 has hard working, effective, highly trained educators in it's buildings (I purposely say Educator, because our school's Paras, Psychologists, Counselors, LREs, Social Workers and Administration are all crucial to learning in our buildings). We are blessed to be surrounded with professionals who are so committed to the learning and futures of our City's students. We need to do a better job as a School Board and a District in communicating this respect, admiration and gratitude to our teachers and staff. The best way to do that (the way you and I would most want to be recognized) is with money, but tight budgets and consistent shortfalls from the State have made pay increases too few and far between (no one locally's fault). Are we doing all we can to show our educators other forms of respect? from evaluating work load, allowing teachers to self manage in-service training or providing curriculum that allows professionals to use their judgement in delivering content- there are many ways we can work as a District to increase Educator morale. I want to hear from our staff and ask them how they will best feel encouraged, because an Educator who is supported and feels respected is going to function better through a year. State Testing State Testing has changed a lot in the last couple years. The tests have moved to a computer platform, the Common Core Standards have moved the bar higher for our State Tests and we as a District have decreased the amount of information we are sharing with our Parents and to some degree even our staff. ​ I would like to see more information shared with parents about their children's test performance and I would like to work to get more timely data out of our State so that schools can make any needed changes in "real time" not a year later. We have improvements to make? Yes, let us meet those head on, accept the challenge and show this state and the nation what our kids can do. We have the best teachers in the state (my personal experience) and some wonderful kids, what do they need to be successful? I want to listen and help our schools do their best by encouraging open, honest dialogue and supporting them in any way they need. Student Behavior This has been a "hot" issue in Wichita schools and is a difficult subject in many school Districts. ​ As a parent, the only solution I can see is working more/better with families. Children learn respect and appropriate behavior in large part from their families- if children are not able to behave in a respectful way at school we have to have active discussions with that child's support team- at home, in the neighborhood and in the school. There have been programs studied where mediators get a child's family (aunts, uncles, siblings, pastors, neighbors) together and all agree to a course of action with consequences spelled out for everyone if the child's behavior doesn't come into line (in this study they were looking at attendance). We are failing that child and the community that child comes from if we don't hold behavior standards high. Unruly, belligerent children, if not corrected, will not grow up to get high paying jobs- employers are not going to put up with those "attitudes". Schools/teachers should also not have to "put up" with attitude issues that are teachable. ​ Sometimes this conversation gets confused/muddled with concerns/issues regarding children with special needs- but we do need to handle those situations a bit differently. The family and community still need to be involved, but there is also a longer learning process for many of our kids who struggle with appropriate behavior due to cognitive issues. Our Special Needs classrooms need to be supported to help children develop those appropriate and employable behaviors as well as be staffed so that all people are safe. ​ I look forward to seeing input into this issue from my communities and hearing other solutions. Equity/Title 1 Funding Each School District has it's own challenges and assets to use in helping their children succeed. USD 259 is the largest and most Urban school District in Kansas and that brings with it many challenges that face our families, students and teachers. One of the tools each District in the state has to help students overcome these challenges is a federal funding stream called Title 1. Currently Wichita concentrates it's Title 1 funds to a limited number of schools with the highest percentages of children with free and reduced cost lunches. There are good reasons for this, and I admit I don't know all of them, but I do think that we need to look at this policy and consider distributing these funds with a greater focus on tying funds to students with needs. This means that instead of the top 10 out of 100 schools getting all the funding, most schools would receive some funding and allow schools to augment opportunities for kids with need. This has it's limits too- there is a balance that needs to be struck when a school would receive so little funds as to not be impactful. But currently too few students are benefiting from this equity creating tool. Transparency Our laws are set up so that public officials have to meet in public to make decisions that affect the public. The media and citizens get to come; questions, ideas and thought processes are explored out in the open. I would like to see this kind of open, transparent discourse increase in our School Board. We should be asking more questions, disagreeing with one another (kindly), and seeking input from the experts of our District in public. This process allows all parties to see and hear just how a decision came to be at the School Board level, this is the intent of the open meetings law. This doesn't mean we have to ambush or cause drama at a School Board Meeting- communicating questions and concerns before a meeting and allowing others to come prepared with answers is key to having effective, informative meetings. I am not afraid of respectful discussion with someone I don't agree with, I believe different opinions, thoughts and values are important as they are all represented in our District's students. Connecting/Communicating with Wichita A School Board Member is a part of a team, we have 7 Board Members who individually have no power, but as a group we work to guide policy, hire the "doer" the Superintendent and advocate for our schools to the Community. I would like to follow in Joy Eakin's footsteps and continue the relationships she has sought to foster with the Wichita Community and possibly even strengthen them. ​ As a District 2 School Board Member, I would like to seek out relationship with our District 1 and 2 City Council Members, Mayor and other Civic leaders ensuring that our schools are meeting the needs of our communities and the City is also doing all it can to encourage and engage our schools. I want to continue Joy's work of meeting with Parent leaders in District 2's schools regularly, to hear what issues they are concerned with and ensure they know what is going on at the School Board level. I would also like to encourage other Board Members to reach out to their parent leaders and would be happy to show them what District 2 has done. ​ Going to the buildings and meeting staff, students and seeing the work being done on the ground is a vital part of leadership in our schools. I want to hear firsthand what issues are pressing for my District's buildings and bring that perspective to the School Board table. ​ I also want to meet with business leaders in our City. The future employers of Wichita and Kansas have a big stake in the outcomes our District produces. Will they have the staff to hire in 3-4 years to keep them productive and successful as a company? What skills do they see needing in 10 years? where are the gaps, or strengths they see in our graduates today? We need to stay connected with all areas of our community and I've shown a track record in seeking out those connections and building those relationships for good outcomes. Equity Kansas survey (LGBTQ issues) As I've said, I want to be transparent. I want to serve as a "normal" Kansas voter, mom and mother of different kinds of kids. So I'm posting the answers I made to a survey I received from Equality Kansas. Some may agree with me, some may not- that is going to happen. But I am not afraid of the discussion, I welcome it- when we get together and speak with one another listening more than we speak we will unite for our common goal, which is excellent education for all Wichita children. Please go to Trish Hileman facebook page to see the image of the survey. Pro Life Because I believe that children are children long before birth, I am Pro Life. I absolutely think that women should have control over their own bodies, until another person becomes involved, then both these persons needs must be considered. I am not however, just Pro Birth- I also believe that our government should not condemn people to death in prisons (there are too many opportunities for error), I believe that we should strive to ensure that people threatened by wars are given safe refuge. I am a Christian and as such, I believe God is at work in people's lives, only He should determine the end of their life on Earth. If we disagree, I still respect you for your beliefs, I welcome the conversation.	”
—Trish Hileman (2017)

See also

2020 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

Coronavirus Weekly Updates Documenting America's Path to Recovery The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Wichita Public Schools
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook page