Four contenders announced for the vacant Fayette school board seat. Who will prevail?
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with more information about the board member application and selection processes.
A retired state fire marshal and several people who hold managerial positions in their respective fields are under consideration to fill a vacancy on the Fayette County Public Schools board, district officials said Tuesday.
The school board wants to select a new board member for the 1st District seat by Jan. 27 as required under a new state law. Recent changes in state law have made local school boards responsible for filling vacancies among their ranks.
The seat became vacant when Christy Morris resigned in late November saying she wanted to spend more time with her family. Citizens could apply for the job through Dec. 23.
The applicants announced Tuesday include:
Marilyn Clark, a supplier diversity manager at the University of Kentucky who previously held similar roles at the Fayette County Public Schools and Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
Edward “Alex” Dixon, a senior decision support analyst at the University of Kentucky and former state contractor
Jamie Jackson, an account manager for Klausing Group and former real estate agent
William Swope Jr., a retired state fire marshal, and former Lexington assistant fire chief.
Morris represented District 1 in west Fayette County, which pulls from areas roughly between Leestown and Harrodsburg roads. Morris was elected in 2019 to fill an unexpired term representing District 1 and ran again in 2020 to continue to fill the post through 2024, a district news release said.
Eligible individuals must be at least 24 years old, have been a Kentucky citizen for at least the last three years, be a registered voter in District 1, have completed the 12th grade or have a GED certificate (transcript or certificate required), meet all other legal eligibility requirements in accordance with KRS 160.180, and once selected, complete required annual in-service training.
Some citizens have expressed concerns that the Fayette school board currently has no members of color in a majority-minority school district.
Clark, Jackson and Swope are Black. Dixon told the Herald-Leader Tuesday that he is biracial. “My father was Black, and my mother was white,” he said.
In her application, Clark said she wants to serve on the board of education “to do my small part to invest in the lives of young people and to build and improve the future of our community.”
Clark wants the district to become a leader in statewide and local workforce development plans.
Dixon said in his application that the school board should improve the community’s access to information about the budget, board responsibilities and other important topics.
“Every child deserves access to the best possible education, and that means ensuring that teachers have the resources and support they need to help their students succeed,” he told the Herald-Leader. “It also means keeping our community informed and involved in the direction of our school district. I am committed to working tirelessly to ensure that all our schools are places where students, teachers and staff can thrive. “
Jackson told the Herald-Leader, ”I think it’s important that our school districts are represented by people from all walks of life, careers and education. Our schools are and should be an integral part of community not just during the schools hours.”
He said in his application that he would like the district to have after school programs that teach children how to deal with life issues not just academics.
Swope said in his application that as a board member he would ensure diversity and inclusion of all students and parents. He said school board members should provide a safe place for students and make sure teachers are provided with proper training and support.
“I would like to focus on serving the needs of all students of the Fayette County Public School system — establish a collaborative community effort and create a safe learning environment,” he told the Herald-Leader.
After a review by the FCPS legal team, staff forwarded the applications of the four individuals who met the statutory requirements and application deadline to the board chair, who then distributed the information to other board members, district officials said.
There were nine individuals who expressed an interest in serving as the District 1 school board member: four completed the process and met statutory requirements within the application window, two did not submit the required materials before the application deadline, and three were ineligible to hold the position under state law, officials said.
At the January 9 meeting of the Fayette County Board of Education, members will determine whether to consider applications from the two individuals who missed the December 23, 2022, deadline to submit the required materials.
On Monday, current board members — Tyler Murphy, Amanda Ferguson, Amy Green and Tom Jones — received application materials from the four candidates and the public comments about the attributes, behaviors and priorities constituents value in the next board member.
A district survey designed to help choose the best candidate garnered responses from 92 people, 43 of whom said they live in the school board’s 1st District, officials said. The top three attributes of a school board member, the respondents said, were focusing on serving all students, being committed to equity and social justice for all students, and a steadfast belief that all students can learn.
“We are grateful to everyone who took the opportunity to share their thoughts and recommendations with us and we look forward to reviewing the information we received and interviewing the applicants,” Murphy, the board chairman, said. “We will continue to keep our community engaged and informed as the process unfolds.”
Board members will review the information received over the next week. There will be opportunities for the public to participate in the selection.
Members of the community are welcome to participate in all of the following events, which will take place Jan. 9 at the John D. Price Administrative Building (Central Office) at 450 Park Place.
▪ 5 p.m. Reception for board members, families, and the community
▪ 5:20 p.m. Ceremonial swearing-in of board members whose terms begin in 2023 (Amanda Ferguson and Tyler Murphy)
▪ 5:30 p.m. Regularly scheduled Board Planning Work Session
▪ 6:30 p.m. Community input and feedback forum on board vacancy
▪ 7 p.m. Student-led forum featuring board vacancy candidates, which will also be broadcast live on the district’s YouTube channel and cable channel 197
Board members will schedule a time to interview candidates the week of Jan. 17, with the intention of selecting a new board member before Jan. 27 in order to meet the 60-day deadline to fill the vacancy as required by statute.
The successful applicant will serve until the next general election on Nov. 7, 2023, and will have the opportunity — along with other interested candidates — to seek election to fulfill the remainder of the term through the end of 2024.
“Being a school board member is an act of public service,” Murphy said. “Our board team takes that responsibility very seriously and looks forward to welcoming a new board member committed to serving all students, employees, families and community members.”
