This is the 11th and final story in an 11-part series featuring the candidates for City Commission and School Board. One story was featured each day between Oct. 8 and Oct. 18.
Kelley Woods
Candidate for School Board
Current job
Stay-at-home mom and substitute teacher
Current community involvement
I have three kids of my own, so I am involved in all of the district. I volunteer when I can. All of them are in sports. So I spend a lot of my time with elementary but also booster clubs with both the middle school and high school so you’ll see me at concessions and all that.
Why are you running for election?
My main focuses are my children and the district. I just want to be more involved and be a bigger part of just doing what’s best for our kids’ community. That’s the No. 1 focus and the children. Also, I’m an educator myself. I used to teach many years before I started and that’s, you know, just to be the advocate for the teachers, the staff.
The opening of Panasonic will have a big impact on the region. What steps do you think the school board should be taking right now to prepare for that?
I feel like they already are taking the steps, and they’re already in discussion. There’s going to be a lot to come and knowing that there is going to be, you know, a change of whether the numbers grow bigger here or not, it’s always best to be prepared for that. I feel that that’s already in their minds and they’re already preparing for, you know, even if it’s five or 10 years from now, they’re already in discussion on preparing for that. So just to be a part of that would be wonderful.
How do you hope to improve the educational experience for students in the district?
I am an educator. Before I stayed at home with my own kids, I taught kindergarten and first grade for many years and just being involved and being there to listen and see what the needs are and to help with that and to encourage what is needed and what’s best for our kids in our district, and for them to have their best education. Our district is wonderful and just to be a part of that and to continue helping build on that for them. That’s what’s best for their education.
Nationwide, school districts have been struggling to hire and retain teachers. What role do you see for the school board in helping with that issue?
There’s always a turnover with education. You know, I’m an educator. There’s always the flaws in every occupation. So, just being involved in listening and helping just because I have that background. I just feel like my knowledge in that and the struggles that were there when I was teaching permanently, I just feel like maybe that will help with the future and to help with that, the knowledge of that.
Staff also play a critical role in keeping schools going: bus drivers, janitors, cafeteria workers, secretaries, etc. How do you think the school board can support and retain these employees?
They stay because of our community. Like I said, there is going to be turnover with people leaving or finding something with more pay because that’s just part of our economy. For the most part, everyone stays because of our community.
Even though it’s growing, we’re still a small-town feel and just there to support them and encourage them, motivate them and just to be there to listen to what we can do to help build the relationships and to keep them because everybody wants to be here. I mean, the numbers are coming in. So it’s obvious that we’re doing something right. I feel like just building relationships and trying to meet their needs will help.
With the passing of the bond, there are a lot of changes coming to the schools, especially the high school. What do you think are the greatest needs in the district as it relates to infrastructure?
It’s all for the kids. It starts with the kids. All of the safety things that they’re adding or the structure of our early childhood elementary building, we need to focus on that because we have a lot of little minds in our community and to be able to reach those needs and get them in sooner than kindergarten or preschool. The bond is here to just help with the children, the main focus of all the safety and the education.
What would you like to see from the Legislature to provide better support for K-12 education?
There’s always more that they can do or that you feel that they can do. I feel that education in general needs to be top priority.Teachers, in my eyes, are underpaid. It’s a strong position. They do a lot. Just to make the whole education world feel more important and that they’re behind on it.
So there’s a lot that needs to be done, but there’s only so much that can be done. So just, you know, the funds is a big start, helping fund early childhood, helping for those young ones to get in and get what they need. So just focusing on the best education for our children. That seems to be in their best interest, which it is, and then just providing more funds for that to be available.
What is the district’s greatest strength?
Involvement. When you go to the football games, and any sporting event or anything that involves the district, they’re just involved and they make everyone a priority. You just see those happy faces everywhere and everyone enjoys just being a part of this wonderful district. I can’t pinpoint one thing in particular other than education is the top priority for them.
So just seeing everyone that’s involved: the school board, superintendent, the teachers, the staff, the kids everywhere, they’re just involved in everything, and it’s just everybody comes together. It just builds the community as well. So, to me, the strength of our district is just knowing that we’re all one team.
What about the biggest challenges for the district?
I don’t see one in particular. All districts are going to have those struggles. I want to be a part of helping all those struggles run smoother.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I want everyone to understand where I’m coming from with the education background and just being part of this community. It is great. Being more involved in it all and doing what I can do to help us keep being one of the top districts around.
If you appreciate our coverage, please donate. Our newspaper depends on your donations to provide coverage of Eudora and continue providing local news.
To donate to support our community journalism, please go to this link.
