United Springfield PAC endorses 3 school board candidates

The newly formed United Springfield political action committee has endorsed three school board candidates.

The endorsed candidates for the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education are Scott Crise, Danielle Kincaid and Susan Provance, according to a news release. The election is scheduled April 2.

School board candidates submitted responses to a United Springfield questionnaire and were interviewed by a PAC subcommittee on Jan. 19.

"Our process has exceeded our expectations," said Jim Anderson, United Springfield co-chair, in the release. “Many people reached out to us to share they appreciate the transparency in which we operate, independent from any organization, and wanted us to select candidates that best fit our mission. After a thoughtful discussion and deliberation, we are confident we have done so."

Kincaid currently serves as board president and Crise is vice president. Provance is running in her first school board election.

The candidates slated to appear on the April ballot are, in alphabetical order:
• Crise, incumbent, manager of gas plant operations for Associated Electric Cooperative Inc.
• Kincaid, incumbent, partner at The Elder Law Group LLC.
• Landon McCarter, co-founder of Secure Agent Marketing.
• Dr. Maryam Mohammadkhani, incumbent, retired pathologist.
• Provance, retired teacher and coach.
• Chad Rollins, chief pharmacist for HealthDirect Pharmacy Services.
• Kyler Sherman-Wilkins, associate professor of sociology at Missouri State University.

Seven of eight candidates who filed paperwork for the seats in December were certified by the district last week, according to past reporting. One of the candidates, Charity Jordan Rex, did not meet the minimum requirement of 500 verified registered voter signatures, according to SPS.

The United Springfield PAC was formed in October 2023, according to past reporting. United Springfield supports nonpartisan school board and council candidates. Its website says it is independent and nonpartisan and decries political polarization and the high cost of running a campaign. It states, “Nonpartisan elected officials serve Springfield better without the influence of divisive partisan politics.”

The release indicates United Springfield raised more than $120,000 since its formation.

The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce discontinued endorsements of school board candidates prior to the 2023 election, according to past reporting.