First big wave of campaign donations to SPS board candidates — how much and who is giving?
Story updated to reflect the amended report the campaign for Danielle Kincaid filed Tuesday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
The Springfield school board election is roughly 75 days away and candidates already have raised $56,820 in cash and in-kind donations plus loans to their own campaigns.
The final list of names on the April 2 ballot is not yet official but eight candidates have submitted paperwork to run. The three with the most votes will be sworn in mid-April.
Six candidates have submitted the required paperwork to the Missouri Ethics Commission. Two were not planning to submit because they either did not form a campaign committee or have not yet raised any funds.
Incumbents Scott Crise, Danielle Kincaid and Maryam Mohammadkhani are vying for a second term. Kincaid serves as board president and Crise as board vice president.
Landon McCarter and Chad Rollins ran unsuccessfully in 2023. McCarter was narrowly defeated but Rollins came in last.
First-time candidates include Susan Provance, Charity Jordan Rex, and Kyler Sherman-Wilkins.
The quarterly reports due Jan. 16 provide the first significant look at how much candidates are raising and who is supporting their campaigns with cash and in-kind donations.
Provance, who filed a campaign committee, said she is not filing a quarterly report because she has not raised any money yet. Jordan Rex has not formed a campaign committee so no report was expected.
Mohammadkhani reported the highest amount in mid-January — a total of $33,950 — and that includes her $10,000 loan to the campaign.
Kincaid came in second with $12,444, including $546 previously reported. She also donated $500 to her own campaign.
Crise was third overall but all of his $8,525 was self-funded.
McCarter was next with $4,000 in contributions and Rollins — who started with $4,614 left over from the 2023 race — raised $3,325 more.
Sherman-Wilkins, who gave his campaign $150, reported $3,101 in campaign funds.
In 2023, with four candidates running — McCarter, Rollins, Judy Brunner and incumbent Shurita Thomas-Tate — more than $300,000 was spent by candidates or other groups including political action committees. Brunner and Thomas-Tate were elected.
Scott Crise
The Scott Crise for Springfield Public Schools Board of Education committee was formed Dec. 20 with Robert Hammerschmidt as treasurer. He is listed as nonpartisan.
Crise, whose children graduated from SPS, is manager of gas plant operations at Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc.
In mid-January, he contributed a total of $8,525 to his campaign. He did not report donations from anyone else.
Danielle Kincaid
The Committee to Elect Danielle Kincaid has been in place since she ran in 2021 and was amended in late 2023. Her treasurer is Carol Taylor. She is listed as nonpartisan.
Kincaid is an attorney and partner with Elder Law Group. She donated to her own campaign. In mid-January, she reported these donations:
$1,041 − Abe McGull, attorney and Springfield City Council member; Cameron Rose, communications;
$520 − Terry Langley, health care; John Fahey, self-employed; Kevin Waterland, technology; Carol Taylor, former president of Evangel University; Renee Kerckhoff, of Raymore;
$500 − Danielle Kincaid; Bryan Fisher, attorney; Gloria Galanes, retired higher education; Whitaker Publishing LLC; DTE Properties LLC; Jeff Schrag, business owner and member of MSU board;
$260 − Denise Fredrick, former SPS board member; Richard Ollis, former city council member;
$250 − Barbara Kipfer; Gary Buzbee, higher education; Janet Dankert, Community Partnership of the Ozarks; Bridget Dierks, Community Foundation of the Ozarks and co-chair Community Task Force on Facilities; Janet Rose; Spencer Harris, business;
$200 − Doug Fredrick, attorney;
$104 − Annie Busch, former SPS board member; Quinn Obrioen, of Kansas City, self-employed
$100 − Douglas McNeal, health care; Summer Massey, banking; Steve Edwards, former hospital system CEO; Nathan Zoromski, of Nixa, finance; Jane Huffstetler; Michael Ashby, of Virginia, information technology; Tyler Gunlock, of Ash Grove, farmer; Matt Price, of Nixa, advertising; Ann Fuhrman, retired; Betty Evans, retired; Jacob Thomas, health care; Crystal Quade, lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate; Callie Carroll, banker and Springfield City Council member;
$69 − Alex Davis, business;
$52 − Heather Hardinger, health care and Springfield City Council member; Andrew Crocker, higher education; Pam Bodine, of Nixa, SPS; Matt Simpson, higher education and Springfield City Council member;
$50 − Ashley Norgard, business; Allison Getty, consulting; Rebecca Anderson, transportation;
$26 − Carly Adams, higher education.
Landon McCarter
The Landon McCarter for SPS School Board committee was formed Dec. 22 with R. Morris as treasurer. He is listed as nonpartisan.
McCarter is an entrepreneur. He graduated from SPS and has children enrolled in the district. In mid-January, he reported $4,000 in donations, including:
$1,000 − Joseph Rhodes, real estate; Grant Rahmeyer, attorney;
$500 − Tyler Creach, real estate; Brett Huechteman, finance; Lori Rook, attorney;
$300 − Jaclyn Pohlers, of Nixa, health care;
$200 − Tyler Thompson, car sales.
Maryam Mohammadkhani
The Parents for Mohammadkhani committee was formed Nov. 19 with William Miller as treasurer. She is listed as nonpartisan.
Mohammadkhani is a retired pathologist who worked at CoxHealth and has had children attend and graduate from SPS.
In mid-January, she made a $10,000 loan to her campaign and accepted $23,950 in donations to reach a total of $33,950, including:
$10,000 − Jeffrey Bauer, attorney;
$5,000 − Pathology Services of Springfield;
$2,500 − Robert Wilson, retired; Todd Wilson, self-employed;
$1,000 − Normal Ely, health care;
$500 − Gregg Stancer, of Ozark, retired;
$250 − Jenny Sledge, self-employed;
$200 − Jennifer Davidson, insurance; Amy Boyd, self-employed;
$150 − Richard Crabtree, real estate;
$100 − Darrin Hall, of Texas, self-employed; Cynthia Read, of Platte City, Missouri, retired teacher; Jack Bay, retired; John Horner, retired; Animal Health Center Hospital and Clinic; The Big Slice;
$50 − Susie Nelson, retired from SPS.
Susan Provance
The Susan Provance for School Board committee was formed Jan. 5 with Mark Stratton as treasurer. She is listed as nonpartisan.
Provance is a retired educator and coach in SPS who also worked for the park board. She graduated from SPS and so did her children.
Provance said she has not yet raised any money and so no report is expected.
Charity Jordan Rex
Jordan Rex, a former youth librarian in Springfield, is a prevention education coordinator for Harmony House. She has not yet formed a campaign committee.
Chad Rollins
The Chad Rollins for Springfield Public School Board committee was formed April 21 with Michelle Herring as treasurer. He is listed as nonpartisan.
Rollins, a pharmacist and facility director for Healthdirect in Ozark, graduated from SPS and has children enrolled in SPS or have graduated.
He started 2024 with $4,614 in the fund.
In early January, he reported an additional $3,325 in cash and in-kind donations, including:
$2,500 − Curtis Jared, developer, in-kind;
$500 − Jim Hutcheson, real estate;
$325 − Donations from people giving $100 or less (no names reported).
Kyler Sherman-Wilkins
The Springfield for Sherman-Wilkins committee was formed Dec. 11 with Robert Stephens as treasurer. He is listed as nonpartisan.
Sherman-Wilkins is an associate professor of sociology at Missouri State University. In mid-January, he reported $3,101 in donations, including:
$500 − Michael Cole, attorney; Kris Barefield, attorney;
$366 − Donations from people giving $100 or less (no names reported)
$260 − Luis Lombilla, higher education; Tonya Claiborne, of Rogersville, social services;
$250 − Laura McCaskill, business; Raymond Lampert, attorney;
$150 − Kyler Sherman-Wilkins; Alison Gee, of St. Louis, education;
$104 − Tim Knapp, of Brookline; Elizabeth Sobel, higher education; William Cooper;
$100 − Ben Gurrentz, of Virginia, government.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: First wave of donations in SPS board race. How much and who is giving?
