Incumbents Cadue-Blackwood, Gordon-Ross retain seats on Lawrence school board; newcomers Costello, Franklin also win 4-year terms

photo by: Matt Resnick/Journal-World

Incumbent Carole Cadue-Blackwood looks at election results at the Douglas County Election Office on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. Cadue-Blackwood was the top vote-getter in the race for a four-year seat on the Lawrence school board.

Current Lawrence school board members Carole Cadue-Blackwood and Ronald “G.R.” Gordon-Ross retained their seats on the board, while newcomers Anne Costello and Yolanda Franklin also won four-year terms on Tuesday.

With all precincts reporting, Cadue-Blackwood was the top vote-getter with 7,343 votes, or 18%, Costello was second with 6,081 or 14.9%, Gordon-Ross was third with 5,861 or 14.3%, and Franklin was fourth with 5,144, or 12.6%. The five candidates who were eliminated were Rachel Stumblingbear (4,228 votes, 10.3%), Jody Meyer (4,199 votes, 10.3%). Edward “E.J.” Gonzales (3,224 votes, 7.9%), Brandon Moore (2,595 votes, 6.3%), and Kevin Coronado (1,773 votes, 4.35%). Coronado had previously suspended his campaign after being arrested on suspicion of DUI in late September.

After securing her second term on the board, Cadue-Blackwood, a social worker, told the Journal-World that she had been concerned that her opposition to the closures of Broken Arrow and Pinckney elementary schools earlier this year could hurt her chances on election night.

“I’ve been very vocal and angry about the school closures,” Cadue-Blackwood said, “and was worried that would turn people off. But I think the community is finally starting to see how the schools’ closures will impact different parts of town, in terms of resources and equity.”

photo by: Contributed

G.R. Gordon-Ross

Gordon-Ross, a longtime software developer, told the Journal-World that he believed his work around pay raises for district staff helped earn him another term on the board.

“I ran a campaign on stability and doing the work we started to do pre-pandemic, and have continued that work going forward — which was wages, increasing support for teachers, and preparing students for life after graduation,” he said. “And that’s what I plan to focus on over the next four years.”

photo by: Contributed

Anne Costello

Costello, a Lawrence Schools Foundation board member and Superintendent’s Advisory Board member, told the Journal-World she was excited for the opportunity to serve the community.

“I think that we’ve got a great representation of different backgrounds and different opinions that will be represented on the board,” she said, “and I’m hoping that we can all come together and make a real impact.”

photo by: Contributed

Yolanda Franklin

The Journal-World attempted to reach Franklin Tuesday night, but was unable to contact her. Franklin is the leader of a local nonprofit dedicated to feeding the homeless.