VOTE411 Voter Guide

There are a lot of issues facing public education currently but one that reaches them all is uncertainty around funding. Federal funds are being diverted and state funds are being directed to private and religious education. Park Hill has worked proactively to use taxpayer dollars efficiently and transparently. I will continue to work to with our community to put tax dollars to work to provide the high quality education Park Hill stakeholders expect.

I am running for school board because I care about public education and want to continue to work on behalf of the Park Hill community. I have been on the board for 17 years and have contributed to the success of our district. My career has been in accounting and finance and I've worked in both public accounting and private industry. I've been fortunate to work at quality KC organizations: George K. Baum & Company, KC Public Library, Tarsus CFO LLC, and Kansas City Current.

Park Hill continually evaluates spending and budgets for long-term needs. We spend taxpayer dollars efficiently so any cut in state funding does have an impact on our district. I will advocate for full funding of public education while maintaining a responsible budget in our district. Park Hill is fortunate to have a supportive community and we take proactive steps to ensure we have adequate funding to respond to the needs of our community. We recently passed bond issues to improve facilities and increase teacher salaries.

Families should be partners in the education of their children. Park Hill has grown our outreach to families in recent years and continue to explore innovative ways to connect with families. We have family and cultural events at the building and district level. We provide various family nights, webinars, family learning events, and have a variety of translation services available. Connecting with families and working collaboratively increases the sense of belonging and has a tremendous impact on the success of students.

Park Hill has an early childhood center to serve families in our district. This is a valued asset to our community. We would love to provide additional services and have advocated for state and federal funding to be able to do more for our community.

Two big issues in Park Hill right now are fiscal responsibility and facility overcrowding. Since 2021, our district has lost over 100 students but added over 230 staff positions, ballooning our salary budget by 40%. This administrative bloat is unsustainable. I will address this by strictly auditing overhead and redirecting funds directly to the classroom and competitive teacher pay. Second, we must address overcrowding. While millions are spent on renovations, some elementary schools force staff into makeshift offices on stages. We need data-driven facility planning. A new elementary school, reduced enrollment, and remodeled schools should not equal staff in makeshift office. Something is wrong.

​I am running to bring financial expertise, practical problem-solving, and common sense to the Park Hill School Board. I am not a politician; I am a Tax Professional with over a decade of experience in tax and finance. I know how to read a budget, audit spending, and ensure tax dollars are maximized for the highest return on investment: our students. More importantly, I am a devoted husband and father. My wife works in the front office at Renner Elementary, giving our family a firsthand look at the daily realities our educators face. We have two daughters in the district, and over the past six years, we have experienced four different Park Hill schools. I am uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between complex financial oversight and the everyday needs of our teachers, support staff, and families.

​If the state budget falls short, my first instinct as a financial professional will never be to immediately ask local taxpayers for more money. We must first look inward. A budget shows what an organization truly values, and right now, we are spending too much outside the classroom. I will meet shortfalls by aggressively auditing our district's overhead, reducing administrative bloat, and cutting back on expensive, unnecessary outside consultants. By trimming bureaucracy and re-evaluating recurring operational expenses, we can free up existing capital. My priority will always be to protect core instructional funding, retain our excellent teachers, and ensure our schools are fully equipped by managing the funds we already have with strict fiscal discipline.

Families are the primary stakeholders in a child's education, and their active involvement is a big indicator of a student's success. The school district's role should be to support, equip, and empower parents as full partners in that educational journey. ​To build stronger partnerships with families, the district must prioritize three things: radical transparency, welcoming environments, and genuine two-way communication. ​First, transparency is key. As a financial professional, I believe parents should never have to jump through administrative hoops to understand what is happening in their children’s classrooms or how their tax dollars are being spent. We can partner with families by ensuring that curriculum expectations, grading policies, consistent discipline standards, and financial data are readily accessible and easy to understand. ​Second, because my wife works in the front office at Renner Elementary, our family knows firsthand how important it is for parents to feel welcomed the moment they walk through the school doors. We need to actively foster a culture across the district where parents feel encouraged to volunteer, join their local PTA, and engage directly and respectfully with their child's teachers. ​Finally, true partnership requires listening. The Board and district administration must prioritize taking active feedback from parents and caregivers rather than just talking at them. When parents and schools work together as a unified team built on mutual respect and clear communication, our students have the greatest opportunity to thrive.

Early childhood education is the critical foundation for lifelong learning and behavioral development. In Park Hill, addressing these needs requires a two-pronged approach: space and staffing. First, we must solve our facility issues. We cannot effectively expand or support early childhood programs if our elementary schools are already overcrowded and staff are working on stages. We need sensible, immediate space solutions and long-term facility planning that specifically allocates appropriate environments for our youngest learners. Second, we must ensure we are attracting and retaining elite early childhood educators. By auditing district overhead and reallocating funds away from administrative bloat, we can offer competitive pay to the teachers and support staff who do the vital work of preparing our early learners for success in kindergarten and beyond.

Park Hill is a strong district, but we must ensure that every student, not just some, has the opportunity to thrive. The most important issues facing our district are closing achievement gaps, supporting and retaining high-quality teachers, strengthening student mental health resources, increasing transparency in leadership, and preparing students for diverse post-graduation pathways. I believe in raising support, not lowering standards. That means investing in early literacy and targeted academic interventions, ensuring teachers are respected and supported, expanding mental health resources, and fostering inclusive environments where students feel seen and valued. Strong communication and community trust are essential. Families deserve clear, student-centered leadership focused on long-term success, not politics. My commitment is simple: strong schools, supported educators, and successful students.

I’m running for the Park Hill School Board because I believe public schools shape more than academic outcomes, they shape confidence, belonging, and opportunity. Every child deserves to walk into school feeling supported, challenged, and seen. My work has centered on leadership, community engagement, and building strong partnerships between families and institutions. I understand how systems operate, how to analyze data and budgets, and how to ask thoughtful questions that keep student outcomes at the center. Just as importantly, I know how to listen. I’m not running because I think Park Hill is broken. I’m running because I believe it’s worth protecting and strengthening. I want to help ensure every student thrives, every educator feels supported, and every family feels heard. Strong schools require steady, transparent, and student-focused leadership, and that’s what I am committed to bringing.

If state funding falls short, my priority would be protecting classroom instruction, student supports, and teacher positions first. Every budget decision should be grounded in what most directly impacts students. I would support a careful review of district spending to identify efficiencies while ensuring dollars are aligned with student outcomes. At the same time, we should pursue grants, partnerships, and advocate strongly at the state level for fair and sustainable funding. If difficult choices are necessary, transparency is essential. Families and staff deserve clear communication about how decisions are made and why. Responsible stewardship means making strategic, student-centered decisions, even in challenging financial times.

Families play a central role in their children’s education, they are partners, advocates, and first teachers. Schools and families working together create stronger student outcomes, a sense of belonging, and shared accountability for success. The district can strengthen this partnership by providing regular communication, hosting listening sessions, offering volunteer and engagement opportunities, and creating programs that connect families to classroom learning. By collaborating closely with parents and caregivers, the district can ensure every student feels supported both at school and at home.

Early childhood education is critical for setting students up for long-term success. I would prioritize expanding access to quality preschool programs, investing in early literacy and math supports, and ensuring classrooms are staffed with well-trained educators. By focusing on strong early learning experiences, we can help every child enter school ready to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.

Candidate has not yet responded.

Candidate has not yet responded.

Candidate has not yet responded.

Candidate has not yet responded.

Candidate has not yet responded.