School Board Poised to Pick New Member
By Beccy Tanner, The Wichita Eagle, Kan.
Oct. 17–The Wichita school board is expected to decide tonight who will fill the board’s vacant seat.
Three finalists were chosen by the board Oct. 11 from a field of eight.
The selection process begins at 5:30 p.m. Monday during a special meeting at the North High School lecture hall.
The finalists are Betty Arnold, 56, an auditor for the state Department of Labor; Shirley Jefferson, 62, a community volunteer who worked in the human resources departments of Raytheon Aircraft and Boeing Wichita; and Eric Key, 47, executive director of the Kansas African American Museum.
District 1 represents Wichita neighborhoods east and north of downtown. The seat has been vacant since Sept. 1, when Kevin Graham resigned after an article in The Eagle reported that he had a history of writing bad checks.
School board members say they are looking for a candidate who has credibility within the community.
“I think everybody — the board, the media and the public — are very sensitive because of what happened with Kevin,” said board president Connie Dietz. “Nobody knew when he was elected there were problems. It was a very unfortunate situation.”
Graham was arrested by Wichita police in August. It was alleged that he tried to cash two personal checks on a closed bank account. He has not been charged, and the case is in the hands of the district attorney’s office.
Graham has since filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, listing $33,100 in liabilities and $23,725 in assets.
Background checks by The Eagle on each of the three finalists did not reveal any problems.
Graham won the District 1 seat in the April election and sat on the board for less than two months before resigning.
“We certainly don’t want to be blind-sided again,” said board member Chip Gramke.
The good news, Gramke said, is that the finalists are well qualified.
Betty Arnold said she wants to be on the board because of her skills.
“I have an honest desire to be part of the answer,” Arnold said. “I deal with professional people. I go out and audit records for compliance. I have a history of working in volunteer programs. I don’t see this seat as a feather in my cap or publicity. I see it as an opportunity to roll up my sleeves and get in there and work.”
Jefferson said she wants to serve on the board to let people know there’s more to the district than African-American issues. District 1 represents much of Wichita’s African-American population.
“This is not just about the African-American community,” she said. “There is a growing gap between the haves and the have-nots. It’s more about a socioeconomic condition. We have to be concerned about every child in this district. They all have special issues we need to deal with.”
Key said he’d like to serve on the board because he wants to be part of the educational process.
“I want to be there to do what I can to make it a stronger district,” he said. “Education is important. It’s my son who has taught me my hands-on experience, working with teachers, parents and serving on committees. I’m willing to serve. I don’t want to be in a community where I am dormant.”
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