A flip of a coin next Monday morning, April 20, will decide the outcome of a deadlocked race in a USD 447-Cherryvale Board of Education election.

Pursuant to state law, the Montgomery County Commission, acting as the board of canvassers, will flip the coin that will decide the race between Kenny Baker of Thayer and Jasmin Forman of Cherryvale for a spot on the Cherryvale school board. Following Monday’s canvassing of votes that were cast in the April 7th general election, Baker and Forman were deadlocked at 208-208.

Prior to Monday’s canvassing of the election ballots, Baker had a two-vote lead over Forman: 208 to 206.

Charlotte Scott-Schmidt, county clerk and chief election officer, said she conferred with the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office regarding how to proceed with a tie breaker in a school board race. Upon researching state statutes, the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office indicated that it was the responsibility of the board of canvassers to break the tie.

The flip of the coin will be held at 9:05 a.m., next Monday, April 20, when the Montgomery County Commission meets at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Independence.

The canvassing of the votes and the upcoming tie-breaker coin flip do not effect the outcome of the other races that were decided in the April 7th general election. The general election also saw three other board members re-elected to the USD 447 board: Gina Booe, Bruce Thornton and Tina Cunningham.