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Election results: NKC school measures win, KC questions pass; school boards decided

School district funding in North Kansas City and ballot questions in Kansas City all passed with ease in final results from Election Day April 5.

Voters also decided close school board races in several of LINC’s partner school districts.

The North Kansas City School District measures proposed a $140 million no-tax-increase bond issue and a 20-cent levy transfer from debt service to operating funds. Both passed with more than 70% of the vote.

The district plans to use the boosted revenue for several projects and needs, including new buildings for Crestview and Nashua elementary schools, additions and renovations at other schools, a second transportation hub to improve bus service, increasing staffing and the ability to meet higher operating costs.

Kansas City voters in similarly overwhelming fashion voted to renew the city’s safety net health levy and to allow the city to issue up to $750 million in revenue bonds to rehabilitate, expand and improve Kansas City’s sanitary sewer system.

School board races

In North Kansas City, in a crowded field, newcomer Daniel Wartick and incumbent Terry Ward won the two seats. Incumbent Frances Yang fell short, as well as challengers Josiah Bechthold, Laura Wagner, Duane Bartsch, Andrew Corrao, and Susan Hines.

Hickman Mills voters elected two challengers to the board, as Terri T. Barr-Moore and Beth Ann Boerger emerged as winners in a tight finish over incumbent Cecil E. Wattree and John Charles Carmichael.

In Grandview, incumbent Dawn Foy and newcomer Joshua Hill won what was also a very tight race, defeating the other incumbent, Helen Ransom to win election to full three-year terms. In a second race, Stacy Wright easily won the contest to fill out the final year of an uncompleted term. Wright, who was appointed to the seat last year, defeated Keith David Shaw.

Center voters in another close race returned incumbent Ronald D. Fritz to office along with newcomer Gayla Smith, as Ira Boydston IV fell short.

In Fort Osage, voters returned the two incumbents to office. Sharon A. Dankenbring and Tim Brown easily overcame challenges by Kyle A. Leeds, Dustin Schnakenberg, Jennifer C. Rogers and Kress Cambers.

The Kansas City Public Schools, which now hold elections every other year, did not have a school board race this year.

See full results at the KC Star and the Jackson County Election Board.