4 candidates are running for the Turner school board. Only 1 answered questions
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Four candidates seek three at-large Turner USD board seats; voters choose up to three.
- Three incumbents Beery, Davidson and Russell declined interview requests.
- Challenger Kay Stone responded, cited community involvement and tax concerns.
Three incumbents and one challenger are running for seats on the Turner Unified School District board of education in Wyandotte County.
The three positions set to be filled next month are at-large, meaning board members will represent all school district residents for four-year terms.
Voters casting a ballot on or before Nov. 4 will get the opportunity to vote for up to three candidates.
Turner serves approximately 4,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade across eight schools, according to district data.
Voters can see sample ballots on the Kansas Secretary of State’s website.
Find more coverage of Wyandotte County politics on KansasCity.com, or sign up for a free newsletter with news for the county.
Turner school board candidates
The three incumbent school board members running for re-election are Joy Beery, Jeff Davidson and Steve Russell, who currently serves as board vice president, according to the district website.
Wyandotte County election records show Beery, Davidson and Russell were elected to the board together in 2017 and re-elected in 2021.
The district website does not provide biographical information about the school board members, and none of the three incumbents have campaign websites or promotional materials on social media.
Beery, Davidson and Russell did not respond to repeated phone calls or email requests for comment.
The only candidate who responded to outreach for this voter guide was Kay Stone, who is challenging for a seat on the board.
Kay Stone
Stone works as a school nurse through Amergis, a health care staffing agency that contracts with Blue Valley Unified School District.
Stone, who lives in Kansas City, Kansas, also owns her own travel agency, according to her LinkedIn page.
Stone told The Star that she decided to run for the school board because, as a former Turner employee, she wanted to remain active in the school community.
Stone said she has not run for public office before, but her mother, Betty Gibson, served on the Turner school board for almost 30 years, according to her obituary.
“I think the biggest challenge facing the school is community involvement. We need more people involved,” Stone said.
She acknowledged that many Wyandotte County residents are worried about rising property taxes.
“I would like more funding for the schools but I don’t think raising taxes is the answer. We can’t bleed our community dry,” Stone said.
Joy Beery (incumbent)
Beery did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
In a 2023 district news release where board members were asked to reflect on their positions, Beery had this to say:
“I most like being a part of a group that helps students succeed. I love seeing students succeed and go on to be great people in life,” Beery said.
“I always say that my greatest reward being a school board member is watching all the students come up at graduation and get their diplomas, and to see how many receive scholarships and have plans to go on to college, trade schools, the military, etc. It’s incredible to see the difference from when they came in as little ones to growing up in the district.”
Jeff Davidson (incumbent)
Davidson did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
In the 2023 district release, Davidson said his favorite part about being a school board member is “the positivity of education.”
“Engaging with young people and educators is always very uplifting,” Davidson said. “I am proud of the success of our students and being able to speak to young people that have discovered their strengths and are excited to use them.”
Steve Russell (incumbent)
Russell did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
In the 2023 release, Russell said he’s proud to represent the district where he and his children attended school.
“I take seriously the opportunity to be involved in the policy making process as it relates to the education of all students in the district,” Russell said.
“I also feel an immense amount of pride when handing diplomas to our incredible graduates. As a lifelong Turner resident, I am proud of the fact that I graduated from Turner High School and that my children, all of whom are also Turner alumni, had some of the same teachers I had.”
This story was originally published October 23, 2025 at 9:26 AM.
