Following Vice President Kaety Bowers’ resignation earlier this month, the Blue Valley Board of Education is now beginning the process of filling her seat.
This week, the Blue Valley School District announced next steps for addressing the vacancy — which took effect when Bowers officially stepped down May 21.
Here’s what Blue Valley School District patrons need to know:
Bowers resigned after a year in her role
- Bowers ran for the school board in 2021 on a conservative platform that emphasized her opposition to mask rules in schools and diversity and equity initiatives she characterized as “critical race theory.”
- She became board vice president in May 2022 after the board voted to remove former vice president Jim McMullen from that role following concerns about a series of his tweets that some parents deemed transphobic and anti-LGBTQ.
- In a statement Bowers provided to be read aloud by the board at its May meeting, Bowers said her family intends to move out of the school district and that she’ll miss the Blue Valley community.
- Bowers has not responded to the Post’s inquiries about her resignation.
The district has opened applications for her seat
- Anyone interested in the open seat can apply by hand-delivering or mailing applications to the board’s clerk at 15020 Metcalf Ave. by 4 p.m. on June 8.
- Following the application process, existing members of the school board will interview candidates on June 16 at the Blue Valley District Office.
- Whoever they select will serve through the remainder of Bowers’ term, which ends in January 2026.
- Applicants must be registered to vote and live within the boundaries of Blue Valley’s northeast board district, which Bowers represented.
The vacant seat will not be on this November’s ballot
- Apart from Bowers’ former position, four board seats will be up for grabs in this year’s general election.
- According to the most recent records from the Johnson County Election Office, seven candidates in total have filed to run so far — four of which have organized into an informal slate dubbed “The A+ Team.”
- Out of the seven candidates looking to run so far, three are incumbent board members and four are newcomers.
- Candidates have until June 1 to file at the Johnson County Election Office.
Go deeper: Blue Valley school board vice president Kaety Bowers resigns
