Kris Grinter is running for a Tonganoxie School Board seat because she wants to be a voice for the community.

“I’m not a one-agenda person,” Grinter said. “I don’t have my own agenda for running for school board, other than I just want the community’s issues, as a whole, listened to and carefully considered.

“I know we now have some good school board members who do that.”

Grinter, who is a bookkeeper and board member for Jim Grinter Farms, Inc., grew up in St. Joseph, Mo., and attended Missouri Western College for accounting and marketing. She married her husband, Ted Grinter, and later went to Kansas University and earned a degree in visual communications. Grinter said she’s an artist and the degree fit into a lifelong dream of pursuing a degree along those lines. Ted is a third-generation farmer on the family’s land.

When it comes to running for the school board, Grinter said an important trait she possesses is the ability to listen to issues without having a bias.

“Weigh all the pros and cons and make a decision based on hearing all the sides of an issue,” she said.

She also noted dealing with the difficult economic times and less funding would be a huge issue.

Grinter said maintaining a staff of strong teachers, good curriculum and making fiscally responsible decisions would be key.

Grinter is running for Position 6 against Tim O’Hagan and Doug Tate.