Board of Education

Board President Alonzo Burton was appointed by the Board in July 2019 and elected in 2020 to fulfill the remainder of the vacant term, which ended in April 2021. Burton was then elected to Board in 2021. Alonzo Burton is currently Founder and Executive Director of GameChangers of America (501c3). Alonzo holds an M.B.A. and M.P.A. from DeVry University. He also holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Civil Engineering and Engineering Management from Missouri S&T. Alonzo and his wife, Teresa, have five sons, and all have attended Raytown Schools. (Term ends April 2027)

 

Board Vice President Edna Adelusola was born and raised in the Kansas City area where she graduated from Central High School. She earned an Associate Degree in Social Services Technology from Columbus State Community College in Ohio and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Wilberforce University in Ohio. She has a lifetime of service, serving community as a Social Worker, Police Officer, Missionary and entrepreneur in the restaurant industry for thirteen years and CEO of a fire and water damage restoration company for five years. She has served on the boards of nonprofit, Bridges to Bridges in Columbus, Ohio and Parkville Chamber of Commerce in Missouri. She was President of social organization Weavers of Nigeria, and Chair of the Board of Trustees at Centenary United Methodist Church. She and her husband were partners in business for twenty (20) years. They are the proud parents of a daughter who is an educator in the KCPS school system. They were also exchange parents for two international students. Mathias is a German young man who resided with them for oneyear during their daughter’s junior year in high school. Edna is currently a Sr. Manager at a nonprofit that awards college scholarships and career pathway training to residents of the greater Kansas City area. (Term ends April 2028)

Nodie Newton III was appointed by the board in 2023 to complete the remainder of the vacant board seat, which ended in April 2024. Newton was then elected to Board in 2024. Nodie and his wife Crystal Newton have been married for 37 years and have three children who are graduates of Raytown South High School. Mr. Newton has worked with children, not only throughout the Missouri and Kansas corridors, but also around the nation pertaining to job and sports readiness to encourage young people and their aspirations. Mr. Newton was employed at Ford Motor Company from 1991 to 1999 following his graduation. He has been with Jackson County Family Court since 2000. Since 2020, Mr. Newton has also worked with the College Coaching Network (CCN), which provides students with scholarships and skills for college readiness. He has been involved with youth over the last 30 years as a sports coach, winning multiple national championships, and the Boys and Girls Club from 2005 to 2009, helping high risk youth find the necessary resources to overcome childhood adversity including homelessness, truancy and a lack of familial and educational resources. (Term ends April 2027)

Dr. Madelyne Renee' Douglas was elected on April 4, 2023 to the School Board for a term of three years. Dr. Madelyne Douglas holds a Doctorate Degree in Counseling from Faith Bible College, and is Board Certified by the American Society of Christian Therapists. Dr. Douglas also holds a Doctorate Degree in Education and Administration from Faith Bible College where she is a professor, and has been teaching for 22 years. Dr. Douglas serves on the FBC College Advisory Board. Dr. Douglas is a faith-based community leader. Dr. Madelyne Douglas is currently a widow, who was married to her husband Larry for 39 years, and is the mother of two adult children, and grandmother of six grandchildren. (Term ends April 2029)

Michael Watson was elected to the board in April 2023 to serve a three-year term. He graduated from the University of Missouri – Kansas City where he enjoyed a record-setting basketball career. After his rookie campaign in the NBA, Watson went on to play ten seasons of International Professional Basketball in Poland, France, Italy, Turkey, and Puerto Rico. After retiring and returning to Kansas City, he helped establish the Urban Ministry for The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and the non- profit youth sports organization ‘MENTALITY by Michael Watson’. He is a color analyst for Spectrum Sports, the ROOS Sports Network, and ESPN +. On April 23, 2023, Watson was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Since 2017, Watson has been the Executive Director of the non-profit Raytown Emergency Assistance Program (REAP). He is also Executive Director of After the Harvest, a non-profit that rescues fresh produce from farms and produce brokers before it goes to waste. (Term ends April 2029) 

Dorothy Tucker Roberts was elected to the board in April 2026 to serve a three-year term. She is a graduate of Alcorn State University, where she studied Health and Physical Education. She also earned degrees in Cosmetology Instruction from Northwest Community College. She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Mrs. Roberts has dedicated much of her career to education and community service. She taught in the Chicago Public School System and later served as a substitute cosmetology instructor with Raytown Quality Schools. She also worked as a recreational specialist at Batesville Job Corps. She is the owner and operator of LaMiere' Salon Unlimited in Raytown, Missouri, and is a Pro/State Examiner for the Missouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. In addition, she currently works as a door host at Walmart and for the Jackson County Election Board. Mrs. Roberts is the proud mother of Alea D. Roberts, a graduate of Raytown High School and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. (Term ends April 2029)

Jordan Jamerson was elected to the board in April 2025 to serve a three-year term. Jordan was born in the Kansas City area and moved to Raytown in 2001, where he spent the remainder of his adolescence attending Raytown schools. He attended Robinson Elementary, Raytown Middle School, and Raytown Central Middle School before graduating from Raytown High School in 2013. He went on to attend the University of Missouri–Columbia, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Education. After graduating, he returned to Raytown High School to teach mathematics at his alma mater. During his five years there, he was deeply involved in the school community, coaching multiple sports, sponsoring Student Council and Scholar Bowl, and serving as the school’s Digital Media Specialist. While teaching, he also earned his Master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of Central Missouri in 2020. After five years in education, he transitioned into the marketing field and now works for an advertising agency.  (Term ends April 2028)

 

Board of Education Secretary Rachel Johnston became the Board of Education Secretary in 2015. Rachel previously worked in the finance department, as the Director of Technology's secretary, and as Principal's Secretary at Raytown High School.