Four candidates, arranged below in the order they filed to run, are running for two open seats on the Beechwood Independent School District’s school board in Fort Mitchell.
The school board is made up of five members, with Jeanne Berger serving as the board’s chair. Current board members Norine Sullivan and Melanie Stricker’s terms expire this year.
Beechwood is one of Kentucky’s highest academically performing public high schools, according to U.S News & World Report.
Kyle Burns
Professionally, Kyle Burns has worked as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the past 12 years, where he’s prosecuted felony cases regarding minor drug possession, retail theft, burglary, robbery, drug trafficking, and sex crimes.
Burns told LINK nky in an email interview that he was inspired to run for school board because Beechwood Schools left a lasting impact on his life. As an alumnus of the school system and a parent of Beechwood students, Burns said he wanted to give back to the school district that positively impacted him.
Burns identified two pressing issues facing Beechwood Schools: maintaining the school’s academic reputation by hiring and compensating top-tier educators while balancing the financial demands placed on local taxpayers.
Burns views the opportunity to serve his community as a privilege. He also believes the Beechwood School Board should include members from all stages of life – a demographic that he says is underrepresented in the current iteration of the board.
Laura Wooten
Laura Wooten is the chief revenue officer at Callibrity, a technology consulting firm headquartered in Cincinnati. She previously worked in sales and marketing. On the education side, Wooten was president of Beechwood’s Parent, Teacher, Student Association from 2022 to 2024.
In an email interview with LINK nky, Wooten said she decided to run for school board because she is concerned about the school system’s current trajectory and believes the district needs a fresh perspective to help inform future decisions.
Wooten seeks to address teacher morale and compensation. She said the school district’s future could be in jeopardy if Beechwood did not provide a competitive compensation package for teachers. Additionally, she wants to emphasize transparency and accountability on the school board and throughout the district.
Wooten says her experience participating in cross-functional teams, managing company and project budgets, and managing internal and external communication gives her the skills to be an asset on the school board.
Michael Smith
Michael Smith is a longtime Fort Mitchell resident, Beechwood alumnus, and parent of Beechwood students. In an email interview with LINK nky, Smith said he works in sales and operations management at a Fortune 150 company.
Smith decided to run for school board because he had concerns about the body’s lack of transparency and communication, which he says was amplified during the pandemic. If elected, Smith said his top priority is improving board transparency and communication with community stakeholders.
During the pandemic, Smith accused local school leadership of shifting blame and making excuses regarding how the pandemic negatively impacted Beechwood Schools.
Smith also highlighted the school district’s financial situation as an overlooked issue. He attributed the cost of the school’s new addition, state reductions and rising Property Valuation Administrator assessments as factors that have negatively impacted funding.
Smith describes himself as a hard worker who values others’ opinions and input. He believes the school board needs strong leadership from someone who can be informed, find solutions, and take a firm stance when necessary.
Sharon Geiger
Sharon Geiger is an alumnus of Beechwood Schools and the parent of a Beechwood student. As a professional, Geiger spent 32 years working in the medical field as an administrative professional, both in the clinical and academic setting at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Currently, she works as an Associate to the Dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Cincinnati.
In an email interview with LINK nky, Geiger said she decided to run for school board because she wants to bring a fresh perspective. Geiger highlighted an “exodus” of teachers and administrators from the school district as a critical issue facing Beechwood.
From Gieger’s perspective, the school board also needs to better educate the community about how funding for education works. Additionally, she believes the school board needs to be more accountable and transparent about their decisions.
Geiger said her administrative and research background will be an asset to the school board. She described herself as an active listener who can identify the core issues of concern.