Topeka board elects Randall Schumacher president, Lisa Schmidt vice president; approves executive session and consent items

The Topeka Public Schools Board of Education on an evening meeting moved into an executive session under the personnel exception of the Kansas Open Meetings Act and, in reorganizational business, unanimously elected Dr. Randall Schumacher as board president and Lisa Schmidt as vice president. The board also adopted the meeting agenda and approved business-by-consent items authorizing the board president or the superintendent to sign special-project and purchasing contracts on behalf of the board.

Why it matters: The executive-session motion cites the personnel exception of the Kansas Open Meetings Act and prompted the board to discuss confidential personnel matters out of public view. The officer elections set the board's leadership for the coming period and the consent approvals authorized officials to sign contracts and move routine business forward.

Dr. Randall Schumacher, a board member, moved that “the board of education of USD $5.00 1 recess into executive session for 60 minutes pursuant to the personnel exception of the Kansas Open Meetings Act to discuss confidential personnel matters to protect the privacy of the individuals discussed,” and invited the superintendent and executive staff into the session. Miss Sebaoli seconded the motion. The board returned to open session after the closed meeting and the chair announced that the motion carried.

Nominations for board president and vice president followed standard procedure. Lisa Schmidt nominated Dr. Randall Schumacher for president; Mr. Munoz seconded that nomination and the board voted to elect Schumacher unanimously. For vice president, Mr. Tatum nominated Lisa Schmidt; Dr. Bonebrake and Dr. Beeson provided seconds and the motion carried unanimously. The board then moved to adopt the agenda as presented and later approved business-by-consent, with the chair noting the authorization for the board president or the superintendent to execute specified contracts.

The meeting record does not provide roll-call vote tallies by individual yes/no votes; minutes show the motions carried and, where stated, that votes were unanimous. The executive-session motion included a planned return-to-open time (06:31 p.m.) and specified that the discussion was limited to confidential personnel matters under the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

Board action items recorded in public session were procedural: officer elections, agenda adoption and consent approvals. The transcript does not show the board taking substantive policy votes or adopting new ordinances during this meeting.

The meeting adjourned after routine board member comments and announcements.