The Wichita Board of Education appointed Sheila Brown-Kinnard for its empty seat on Friday afternoon.
The board met at the Alvin Morris Administrative Center to interview 10 candidates for the vacancy. They asked about the candidates’ thoughts on the current strategic plan and their support for an upcoming proposed bond issue.
The seat was left open after former board member Melody McCray-Miller died in February. Brown-Kinnard will finish out the rest of her term, which ends in 2027.
Brown-Kinnard is a retired Wichita Public Schools drama teacher. Her mother Jo Brown was the first Black female member elected to the Wichita School Board.
The board selected Brown-Kinnard by 5-1 vote on the first ballot. As she heard the votes, Brown-Kinnard wiped away tears.
After the meeting, she reflected on her journey.
“I’ve been coming to board meetings, talking to community people, talking to people in the broader community,” Brown-Kinnard said. “It's a dream come true. And I know my mama is happy. We've come full circle here, and it's just marvelous. I can't wait to get started.”
Brown-Kinnard will take the oath of office at the Sedgwick County Election Office before May 29. Her first official meeting will be in June.
At that meeting, the board of education is expected to vote on whether to send a proposed $615 million bond referendum to the public.
Brown-Kinnard said she supports the proposed bond because students and teachers need better facilities. She believes this bond has more equitable tax distribution and will find public support. Voters narrowly rejected a $450 million bond referendum last year.
“People will be able to handle it, because our children deserve it, our teachers deserve it, our families deserve it, our communities deserve it,” Brown-Kinnard said.
She said she also supports creating a safe and inclusive environment for students and preparing them for college and careers.
Filling McCray-Miller’s seat has special meaning for Brown-Kinnard. They were friends since kindergarten, and she fondly remembers spending nights at the McCray house. That connection made her feel a kinship with the board.
“It's all a wonderful legacy journey, and I'm hoping to bring that legacy forward to this board,” Brown-Kinnard said through tears. “That seventh seat will be filled. That seventh seat will be filled.”
Other candidates who interviewed for the vacancy included: Lamont Anderson, Michelle Cunningham, LaWanda DeShazer, Patricia Hileman, Brian Irwin, Candace Landers, Eve Matucci-Parker, Steven Ternes and Curtis Whittit.
