Shawnee Mission East Area
2nd Term, Jan. 2022 to Jan. 2026
913-993-6386
Mary Sinclair serves the district, elected from the East High School feeder area, and began her first term on the board in 2018. Sinclair is the board's president. She has lived in the district for more than 30 years. Sinclair and her husband, Doug Huffman, have two children who both graduated from Shawnee Mission East and is an SM East alumni, as well. Sinclair is a retired education researcher, having held adjunct faculty positions with the University of Kansas and University of Missouri-Kansas City, and principal investigator at the Univeristy of Minnesota. She earned an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, a Master's in Education from Harvard University and a doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota in Special Education. Sinclair is an active member of the Kansas PTA, Game On for Kansas Schools, and belongs to the Mainstream Coalition and League of Women Voters Johnson County. She has been a district MVP volunteer since 2012.
Shawnee Mission South Area 1st Term, Jan. 2020 to Jan. 2024 913-993-6395
Jessica Hembree serves the district, elected from the South High School feeder area, and began her first term on the board in 2020. She and her husband, Brett have three sons attending Shawnee Mission Schools. Hembree has worked in health policy for more than ten years, with focuses on Medicaid policy, children’s health and school-based mental health services. She founded a small business in 2018 to provide public policy consulting to nonprofit organizations. Jessica has her undergraduate degree from Kansas State University and a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University. She recently completed a year-long education policy fellowship.
Shawnee Mission Northwest Area 1st Term, Jan. 2020 to Jan. 2024 913-993-6392
Jamie Borgman serves the district, elected from the Northwest High School feeder area, and began her first term on the board in 2020. She and her husband, Craig have lived in the SMSD area for over 15 years. They have three children who attend Shawnee Mission Schools. Borgman is a former television news journalist. She currently works for a global oncology company as a senior level account executive. Borgman is the founder of SMSD Circle of Kindness. She leads various PTA committees, helps on SMNW booster clubs and sits on SMSD site councils. Jamie enjoys giving back to her alma mater, Kansas State University, as an Executive Business Mentor.
Shawnee Mission West Area 1st Term, Jan. 2022 - Jan. 2026 913-993-6387
April Boyd-Noronha serves the district, elected from the West High School feeder area and began her first term on the board in 2022. Boyd-Noronha lives in Lenexa and is a proud Shawnee Mission parent. She is a long-time educator and is currently an Information Security & Risk Senior Engineer with a private firm. She has served in various roles as a higher education administrator in the fields of cybersecurity, computer information systems, health information management, and leadership. In addition, she has dedicated many hours as a community STEM advocate. Boyd-Noronha is a member of the Shawnee Mission West PTA, the Johnson County NAACP, and the Lenexa Rotary club. She also serves as the global diversity and inclusion advisor and executive board member of the XR Safety Initiative. In her role on the Board of Education, Boyd-Noronha looks forward to ensuring that “diversity is our strength” in the SMSD.
Shawnee Mission North Area
3rd Term, Jan. 2020 to Jan. 2024
913-993-6393
Sara Goodburn serves the district, elected from the North High School feeder area and began her first term on the board in 2011. Goodburn is the board's vice president. She served two years as president from 2015 to 2017. Goodburn lives in the North area with her husband, Kelly. They have two children who attended and graduated SM North. Goodburn is a long-time board member of the Baptist-Trinity Legacy Foundation.where the signature program of the foundation is Kansas City's Medicine Cabinet. She is a member of the SM North Booster Club and helps organize the annual golf tournament. She is an alumnae member of Alpha Delta Pi and supports the national philanthropy locally through Ronald McDonald House Charities, Kansas City. Goodburn graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor's degree in Journalism.
At-Large Member
2nd Term, Jan. 2022 to Jan. 2026
913-993-6385
Heather Ousley serves as an at-large member and began her first term on the board in 2018. She is the board's immediate past president. Ousley and her family live in the Shawnee Mission North area. She and her husband, Jarrod, have three children who attend Shawnee Mission schools and is an Shawnee Mission South alumni, as well. Ousley is an attorney practicing primarily in the area of fair housing. She belongs to the Network for Public Education, the NAACP, and the Girl Scouts. She is a volunteer and member of the PTA organizations in her children's schools.
At-Large Member 2nd Term, Jan. 2020 - Jan. 2024 913-993-6396
Brad Stratton serves as an at-large member and began his first term on the board in 2015. Stratton is a past board president and has lived in the Shawnee Mission School District since 1987. He has two daughters who are Shawnee Mission graduates. Stratton is the past board chair of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce. He is also the past board chair of the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation. He is a graduate of Emporia State University with a degree in Business Administration. Stratton is an investment advisor and president of Overland Park Wealth Management.
The Board of Education is responsible for; (1) establishing the vision for the district and setting priorities and goals in collaboration with the superintendent; (2) approving the district annual budget; (3) creating/approving policies; (4) hiring the superintendent of schools; (5) evaluating the superintendent's performance; and (6) helping build support for public education by serving as ambassadors and advocates for district interests.
The Strategic Plan guides the work of the Shawnee Mission School District and its Board. The plan is community-driven and a living document. The plan, timeline and accountability measures can be viewed here.
Board of Education meetings serve the purpose of conducting business of the Board and regularly updating the Board and the community on progress being made on the Strategic Plan.
Regular Board of Education meetings focus on the business of the Board, including approving policy, paying bills, and other functions that require Board approval.
Workshops are specifically designed to provide the Board time to interact with reports related to the Strategic Plan and to other in-depth conversations that are within the responsibility and authority of the Board. Routine consent agenda items only are also approved as part of the workshop format. The exception to this is approval of the Budget at the first Board meeting in August or at other times as deemed essential by the Board of Education.
Meeting Agendas and Minutes
Copies of the board meeting agendas, as well as minutes from previous meetings, are available through the district website on BoardDocs. In addition, all meetings are streamed and archived here.
Board meetings are not public meetings, but are meetings held in public for the purpose of conducting the business of the school district. All business is conducted in public with the exception of items discussed in confidential executive sessions as allowed by state statute.
Board of education meetings are typically held at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of the month at the Center for Academic Achievement, 8200 W. 71st Street, in the boardroom.
Copies of the board meeting agendas, as well as minutes from previous meetings, are available on BoardDocs. In addition, all meetings are streamed and archived here.
The mission of the Shawnee Mission School District, the bridge to unlimited possibilities yet to be discovered, is to ensure students construct their own foundation for success in life’s endeavors through relevant, personalized learning experiences orchestrated by talented, compassionate educators and distinguished by:
an inclusive culture
an engaged community
and robust opportunities that challenge learners to achieve their full potential
The Finance and Facilities Committee
The SMSD Board of Education approved the establishment of the standing district Finance and Facilities Committee of the Board on November 11, 2019 and the first slate of committee members was approved January 27, 2020.
Community Members
East Melissa Rooker
North Kevin Broome
Northwest Ryan Wineinger
South Gary Strout
West Angelique Rodriguez-Gunion
At-Large Susan Lindahl
At-Large Brian Watson
Board Members
Brad Stratton, Chair
Mary Sinclair, Vice Chair
Dates for the 2022-2023 school year of the Finance and Facilities committee meetings are held 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the CAA board room:
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Thursday, August 24, 2023
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Purpose and Parameters
The primary purpose of the Finance and Facilities Committee is to review and advise the district and the Board of Education on these two functions, in alignment with the implementation of the SMSD Strategic Plan. Committee members are to review the operating, designated revenue, and capital budgets of the district, including the finances of the bond projects. The Committee is to also review design concepts, key assumptions and budgets for new buildings and major renovations, and to identify strengths and weaknesses to the Board of Education on construction and facility related issues.
The superintendent and/or designee will set the committee agenda in consultation with the board members on the committee. Acknowledgment of potential impact on district finances and resources, statutory or regulatory requirements should be included with any recommendations, if put forward by the committee. Any recommendations of the committee will be presented to the superintendent for consideration, with potential for review by relevant district working groups, in preparation for consideration by the Board of Education.
Final approval rests with the Board of Education.
Facilitation
The members of the Finance and Facilities Committee will select a committee chairperson and vice chairperson at their first meeting of each school year. Committee ground rules will be established by the members during the first meeting and reviewed at least annually. A district staff member will provide logistical support to the work of the committee.
Communication
The Finance and Facilities Committee is to provide input and items for consideration to the Superintendent at least 5 calendar days prior to any Board meeting so that issues for consideration have adequate time to be reviewed and prioritized for an upcoming Board meeting agenda. All Committee meetings will be noticed and open to the public. While the work of the committee will be conducted in public, only committee members will participate in the meetings. Observers are welcome to attend. Observers with questions or comments will be directed to the committee’s designated district staff support members, who will facilitate communication on behalf of the volunteer participants.
Membership
Each member of the Board of Education appointments one SMSD patron to the committee, from a pool of applicants. The superintendent will appointment up to four members from the district administration. The Board President will select two members from the board to serve on the committee.
Committee Objectives
Review the current Financial Reports of the SMSD:
Review and advise on the annual budget development and budget workshop presentation to strengthen the process and explanation to board members and patrons.
Review the current Capital Improvement and Construction projects of the SMSD:
Assist in the development and prioritization of the SMSD long-range Facilities Plan
Review and advise on the budget and finances of the projects funded through bond issuance
Review and advise on post construction and occupancy summaries
Preferred Experiences or Expertise of Committee Members:
Interest and capacity to work with budget documents
Familiarity with school finance basics (e.g., operating budget vs capital and bond, sources of revenue and restrictions, awareness of school finance lawsuits)
Familiarity with construction, architecture, bonds
A time for public comment occurs prior to regularly scheduled Board of Education meetings to provide an opportunity for individuals to address the board regarding school district issues.
Patrons must submit a request to make public comment no later than noon (12:00 p.m.) on the day of a regularly scheduled Board Meeting.
If you would like to address the board during Public Comment, the clerk of the board, Shelly Trenholm, will guide you through this process. She may be contacted at 913-993-6401 or at shellytrenholm@smsd.org. While comments must be received no later than noon on the Monday of the meeting, patrons are encouraged to electronically submit their requests to speak at Public Comment by 3:30 p.m. the Friday before a regularly scheduled Board Meeting. You may make your electronic submission using this form. This early submission may allow the district to research and/or address patron concerns before the meeting. The president may impose a time limit of 3 minutes or less for each speaker, in order to provide as many patrons as possible the opportunity to speak.
Requests for auxiliary aids or services for persons needing assistance to address the board should be made with appropriate advance notice.
Reminders for a constructive and positive experience when presenting comments to the board: —Please proceed to the podium when your name is called and share your name, city of residency, what schools your children attend if applicable, and the name of any group or organization you are representing. —Please limit your remarks to three minutes or less as indicated by the President. —In consideration of everyone’s time, please select a group spokesperson to represent your interests or you may choose to pass when your name is called if a previous speaker has already expressed your concerns. —If you have written comments and/or materials for board distribution, please ensure there are at least eight (8) copies for distribution. —Please make your comments while remaining behind the podium. —Complaints regarding students or staff should first be addressed to administration in accordance with board policy KN – Complaints. If that procedure has been completed, the board will consider whether to hear such complaints in executive session in order to protect the privacy interests of the student(s) and/ or staff involved. —If comments pertain to an item on that meeting’s agenda, the board president may ask the superintendent, or his or her designee, to address those comments at that time or when the item is up for board discussion. —Generally, responses from board members during Public Comment will be limited to clarifying questions.
The Shawnee Mission School District welcomes your questions, suggestions and concerns. Through informative discussion and communication our goal is to have most issues resolved at the school level. School administrators welcome your feedback and comments.
There are a variety of ways patrons and citizens can communicate with the district. For general questions, please send your inquiries to the district's general email: askthedistrict@smsd.org, or through the postal service to:
Shawnee Mission School District
Center of Academic Achievement
8200 W. 71st Street
Overland Park, KS 66204
(913) 993-6200
Our board, as elected school board members, is interested in your concerns and opinions. Your participation is a vital part of our school system's success.
All regular meetings of the board and public comment are open to the public. Learn more about how you can participate in the public comment comment by visiting the Public Comment tab above. Please note that Board Members are not able to respond directly to patron concerns that are raised during public comment.
Meet your Board Members and find their contact information on the Meet The Board tab above. Since all Board Members serve the district in its entirety, we encourage you to communicate with all Board Members. You can expect a response from the Board President on behalf of the Board.
For more information, please contact Shelly Trenholm, Clerk of the Board at (913) 993-6401 or shellytrenholm@smsd.org
Concerns and Feedback
The school district encourages all concerns to be resolved at the administrative level closest to the issue. Please refer to the Chain of Communication to assist identifying and informing the appropriate staff member. Confirmation the concern was received will be provided by email, telephone or mail if the contact information is provided.
For specific concerns, related to specific issues or individuals (a teacher, a student, bullying), please fill out a complaint form. Complaint forms are used in accordance with state and federal privacy laws, and to facilitate due process, if warranted. The forms are located through the district website, on Board Docs. Please follow these steps:
Our seven board members are elected by the Shawnee Mission voters. The board of education serves as the district's governing body in accordance with state and federal law. One member is elected from each of the district's five areas: East, North, Northwest, South, and West (Board Member Areas and Voting Precincts). Two members are elected as At-Large representatives for the district. All members serve the entire district and serve without pay.
