Village Initiative leaders tell KCKPS board allegations of conflict are false, urge focus on services

Speakers representing the Village Initiative told the board on Aug. 11 that public allegations of an organizational conflict of interest are incorrect and harming people the nonprofit serves.

"We are here today to plead with the board members to stop telling the world that the village initiative has an improper conflict of interest," Randy George, who identified himself as co‑founder and executive director, said in public comment. He said the Village Initiative has no contract, grant, or financial relationship with Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools and that the grant in question came from the Wyandotte Health Foundation.

Katie Haroy, the Village Initiative program director and grant writer, described the nonprofit’s reentry work, trauma‑informed trainings and youth services, saying the group served more than 500 people with reentry programs in 2025 and operated a food pantry that served more than 5,000 community members. Jade Hanks, youth program coordinator, outlined Village Youth Connections (VYC) work in schools and after‑school settings and said the program provides one‑on‑one mental‑health support, tutoring and prevention education.

Several speakers asked the board for clearer, earlier transparency about proposed revenue‑neutral budget choices and urged the board to show where reductions would fall before taking votes. El Centro CEO Eric Andrade urged respectful board conduct and transparency, saying the community deserves to see where reductions would occur and what they would mean for children.

The comments were part of a broad public‑comment block that included budget advocates, business vendors demanding payment of overdue invoices and parents raising policy concerns.