This year, yes. every kid. invited four passionate advocates for equal educational opportunity to become No More Lines Ambassadors. By lending their voices, they will provide direct support to the cause of empowering every family to choose the public school that best fits their needs.
We checked in with 2025 No More Lines Ambassador, Kelley Williams-Bolar, to dig into her story and how her life and family were affected by lines that separate kids from a best-fit public education.
What does a future without school boundary limitations look like to you, and how do you believe this work will help fulfill that vision?
This is a world where every child has the opportunity to receive a quality education, regardless of their ZIP code. This is a world in which no family member is criminalized for doing the best for their kids. I deeply understand the impact of school district boundaries because my own upbringing was marked by instability, a struggle to build a strong educational foundation.
When it came to my own children, I was determined to give them the stability and quality education that I lacked. After my divorce, my parents played a crucial role in helping me raise my daughters, and I strongly believed that enrolling them in my parent’s resident school district – the next town over – would provide them with both a safer environment and the support they needed. Unfortunately, my decision led to an overzealous prosecution that resulted in jail time, if you can believe it—a punishment that I believe was unjust for a mother simply trying to do what was best for her children. Thankfully, our governor recognized this injustice and granted me executive clemency after I spent nine days in a cell.
This experience shook my family to its core and reinforced my belief that school boundaries should not be barriers to opportunity. Every child deserves access to a safe, high-quality education, and no parent should have to face criminal consequences for seeking the best for their children. Working toward a future without school district limitations would mean leveling the playing field so that all children—regardless of their family’s financial situation or where they live – can thrive academically and personally, or at the very least, have the same opportunities of students who graduate from more influential neighborhoods.
By advocating for equal rights in public education, we can move toward a system where education is about a child’s potential rather than their address. My experience fuels my passion for ensuring that no other parent must endure what I did simply for wanting a better future for their children.
Which lessons from your background do you find most influential when tackling education reform challenges?
Through my personal experiences, I have learned that the fight for educational equality is long and frustrating. As a child, moving a lot left me without a stable academic foundation, and as a mother, I faced legal consequences simply for enrolling my children in a safer, higher-quality school district. These experiences reinforced my belief that school boundaries should not dictate a child’s future, yet change has been painfully slow.
Even after 13 years of advocacy, parents can still be jailed for seeking better education for their children in the state of Ohio, and policymakers are not moving fast enough to address these injustices.
Despite these challenges, I have also seen progress, particularly with the rise of school choice options and organizations like yes. every kid., pushing for reform, especially after COVID. My journey has taught me that resilience and persistence are crucial in this fight.
Expanding educational opportunities, making sure families have the support they need, and revisiting outdated policies are all essential steps in creating a more just system. While the battle is far from over, I am committed to changing policies that put children’s futures first and above the boundaries they have.
How did your experiences as a student or parent shape your passion for transforming education?
When I became a mother, I was determined to break that cycle of instability and limited opportunities. Yet, my decision to enroll my children in a safer educational environment where my father lived led to an experience with the criminal justice system that made it painfully clear how mean and unforgiving the whole system can be. No parent should have to face legal consequences simply for wanting the best for their children.
That experience deepened my commitment to education reform. I refuse to accept a system that punishes families for seeking better opportunities while failing to address the deeper inequalities that make these choices necessary in the first place. Over the past 13 years, I have dedicated myself to advocating for policies that expand school choice, remove outdated laws, and ensure every child – regardless of where they live – has access to the education that’s right for them.
My journey has taught me that true reform requires persistence, courage, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. For as long as I have breath, I will continue to fight for an education system that prioritizes students over ZIP codes and ensures that no family must endure what I went through just to secure a brighter future for their children. This is my promise to myself.
To connect with Kelley about her work standing for education beyond exclusionary school boundaries, or to bring her to your state, email press@yeseverykid.com.
