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A Reflective Evening at Topeka City Council

Last night I spoke during public comment at the Topeka City Council meeting, and I walked away with a clear realization: I can no longer simply walk in and wing it. The energy in the room hit me harder than usual, and it stirred up some deep emotions about our city.

As someone who grew up in Topeka and whose family has roots here going back generations, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much (or how little) has truly changed. My grandfather played a small role in the events surrounding the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. That ruling was supposed to ensure every child could attend a quality school in their own neighborhood. Yet here we are, decades later, still operating 72 bus routes in USD 501 at a cost of roughly $400 per day per route. Multiply that across the school year and it adds up fast.

I’m not an education expert, but it feels like we’ve moved from the simple principle of neighborhood schools to something more like a demographic science project. Dr. Anderson and the leadership seem focused on balancing numbers of white, Black, and Brown students across buildings rather than ensuring every child has a strong school close to home. The core question remains: How is this better for the kids or the community than what Brown aimed to achieve?

Topeka’s struggles run deeper than one issue. I hear candidates for governor talking about the “swamp” in Topeka, and moments like last night make it hard to disagree. We keep hearing proposals to raise the sales tax, and while I’m not personally opposed to supporting important services, I am deeply opposed to the lack of transparency around where that money actually goes. What happened to the $125 million? Where did the funds for projects like the hotel deal, AT&T, Wolf’s Camera, and others end up? How have those investments made daily life better for Topeka families?

When budgets fall short, the pressure rolls downhill to real estate taxes and our schools. It’s a classic butterfly effect — poor decisions at the top create ripple effects that make it harder for families, businesses, and neighborhoods to thrive.

I had an emotional moment at the podium. I don’t feel like I was the best version of myself up there, but the feelings are real and shared by many longtime Topekans who love this city and want better for it — and for the next generation, including my own daughter.

We can do better. That starts with real transparency, accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent, and a renewed focus on practical outcomes over experiments. I’m grateful for the opportunity to speak and even more committed to showing up prepared and contributing constructively going forward.

What are your thoughts? Have you seen positive changes in our schools or local spending that I’m missing? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments.

— Henry McClure Topeka, Kansas