Patrick Sullivan
Non-Partisan | Missouri
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Patrick Sullivan
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2026
Election
General School Boards
Race
Ozark School District School Board, At-Large Seats (vote for three)
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, BSE, 1987-1992
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, MSE, 1995-1997
The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, PhD, 2002-2012
WORK & MILITARY
USD 232, DeSoto KS, Department Chair, Mathematics, 1992-2002
The Pennsylvania State University, Academic Researcher, 2002-2007
Grace Prep, Chief Educational Officer/Principal/Teacher, 2007-2014
Missouri State University, Professor of Mathematics, 2014-
AFFILIATIONS
James River Church, member, 2016-
Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Past President, 2025-
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
Committee Disclosure Report - 8 Days Before General Municipal Election (02/18/2026 - 03/26/2026) from Missouri Ethics Commission
Please note: This information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for educational purposes only.
OTHER INFORMATION
Please note: This information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for educational purposes only.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Agree
What role should the school serve in helping a student with an unwanted or crisis pregnancy?
As a 30+ educator my initial response is that those conversations should be happening at home, but there have been situations where that has not been possible due to abuse or other reasons. Not a conversation any of us want to have but I know many counselors who have had to support students through those conversations with their parents when possible.
ECONOMY
Student loan forgiveness unfairly shifts the financial burden to those not responsible for student debt.
Agree
When I graduated college in 1991 I was able to pay for my tuition and living expenses working full-time construction over the summer making $9.25/hour. When I did this comparison with my daughter in 2022 she would have to make over $50/ hour doing what I did. And, while some majors have starting average salaries much higher than those in other professions (e.g., teaching & social work) the costs to attend college are exactly the same. I propose a lot more awareness and education.
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
I am all for Pre-K because it is the foundation to all learning.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
With regard to public schools, what does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Did not answer
IMMIGRATION
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enhances the safety and security of communities by identifying and detaining illegal aliens.
Choose not to answer
EDUCATION
Abortion and gender-affirming providers, including Planned Parenthood, should be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Strongly Disagree
Consequences for bad behavior create a safe and orderly environment, which is essential for student learning.
Strongly Agree
No child should ever be given the power to negatively affect the learning opportunities of the others in the class.
Educators should give students a thorough education in America's founding documents and cultivate American patriotism.
Agree
I believe it important to be honest and open about the history of our country. The beauty of our democratic society is that we can have hard discussions about the good, bad, and ugly in our history because that fosters our growth as a country. It is tough sometimes, but that is what makes us the envy of many other countries.
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Neutral
If I felt the states were given the resources and positioned to the do necessary work I might feel stronger. While I believe in strong state's rights I often wonder why each state needs to create their own set of learning standards. For example, are Missouri and Kentucky's academic standards so radically different that we need to expend resources to separate these?
If you support the teaching of Sex Ed, please answer the following question: Sexual education should include these topics (list all that apply and add your own, if needed) -- abortion methods and side effects; abstinence; consent; contraceptive methods; human anatomy/the reproductive system; physical and emotional health outcomes; sex acts and pleasures of sex; sexual orientation and gender identity; stages of pregnancy and fetal development
Many years ago Kentucky significantly reduced the teen pregnancy rates through education. Topics included consent, human/anatomy/the reproductive system, physical and emotional health outcomes, and stages of pregnancy and fetal development. I prefer some of these other topics be conversations between the parent and the child.
Please list in order the following priorities in relation to the role of a K-12 public school (omitting any that do not apply): American History, Art & Music, Civics, Critical Race Theory, Foreign Language, Gender Identity, Information Technology, Language Arts, Mathematics, Personal Finances, Physical Fitness, Political Activism, Science, Sexuality, Social Emotional Learning, Vocational Learning
While I am a STEM guy by nature I believe we are short-changing the fine arts and physical fitness, beyond sports, and personal finance, related to my earlier comments about funding undergraduate education is a must. I also believe there are elements of social emotional learning that we need our students to understand. For example, how to handle failure because that is a huge one right now--It is when most growth occurs--at least it did in my life. Vocational learning should also be emphasized.
Public schools should prioritize academic achievement and building character necessary to preserve American traditions and self-government.
Strongly Agree
School choice creates competition, and that competition will push public schools to improve their educational systems.
Disagree
There is very little evidence to suggest school choice pushes public schools to improve their educational systems. As a society we need to place more emphasis on the importance of education. I have taught in China. I saw the commitment those students make to their education because it is expected. We need to raise those expectations across the board.
VALUES
Biological males should be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Everyday I wake up trying to better represent a follower of Jesus Christ. Most days I fail but it is in my heart and I hope I reflect his love for me through my words and actions. There are a lot of things in this world that I do not understand but I have faith knowing that Jesus Christ rose from the dead forgiving for my sins.
Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.
Agree
I agree, and I think most teachers, would prefer that be the case, but right now we have a student behavior crisis in many of our schools and it falls back on parents. The social contract used to be, 1) the adults set the expectations, 2) children pushed up against the boundaries of those expectations, and 3) the adults meted out consequences so that students would learn to better meet those expectations. Right now that is lacking in many places.
I support the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that people should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.
Strongly Agree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Agree
Mental health conditions such as anorexia and gender dysphoria need to be treated, not affirmed.
Agree
School library books that have literary value, as determined by experts, should be exempt from obscenity laws.
Neutral
This is a "tricky" one for me. There are books in the past that were considered at one time obscene that influenced me greatly. One of those was Grapes of Wrath.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Agree
I am all for ensuring that the person voting is an actual registered voter, but that photo identification should not have a cost associated. Poverty should never be a barrier to the opportunity to vote.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2016 Republican Primary 2016 General Election 2018 Republican Primary 2018 General Election 2020 Republican Primary 2020 General Election 2022 Republican Primary 2022 General Election
What political party are you affiliated with?
Republican
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to immigration and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Lean Conservative
2ND AMENDMENT
Faculty who are licensed to carry and have had ongoing training should be allowed to carry guns at school in order to respond to an active shooter situation.
Disagree
It saddens me that this is even a question on a survey. When I entered the education profession 30 years ago I definitely did not think this would be a question I thought I would have to answer.
