More than 50 years after her mother made history as the first African-American woman to hold a seat on the Wichita school board, Sheila Kinnard is following in her footsteps. She was appointed Friday as the new at-large representative on the board.
Kinnard, a retired drama teacher for the district and East High graduate, was selected out of 10 applicants and received six out of seven votes from current board members in the first round of voting.
Involvement with the Wichita school board is deeply tied to Kinnard’s family history. Her mother, Jo Brown, served on the school board for eight years after joining in 1971. On Friday, Kinnard called her appointment a “dream come true” and said it brought things “full circle” for her and her family.
“I know you’re happy, Jo,” she said while teary-eyed Friday. “… It’s all a wonderful, legacy journey, and I’m hoping to bring that legacy forward … to this board.”…