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Kentucky School Advocate

January 2018

Double honors
Lee County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Evans (right) was named 2018 Superintendent of the Year last month by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators. It’s a repeat of sorts for Evans, who was last year’s F.L. Dupree Outstanding Superintendent winner, an award presented by KSBA and the Dupree family.

Evans has spent his life and career in Lee County. He started with the district as a special education instructional aide, and served as a teacher, high school principal, transportation director and, in 2008, superintendent. Noting that 79 percent of the district’s students qualify for free or reduced lunch, Evans said, “For Lee County, priority one has to be social and emotional help before we expect students to come to school prepared to learn. Our strategy has been holistic; if we can provide health/wellness supports, safe and comfortable learning environments, basic supplies, and educational tools for parents, our children will be well-positioned for success.”

Evans’ recognition by KASA included a $2,500 scholarship for a Lee County senior; he will move on to be a candidate for National Superintendent of the Year, given by the American Association of School Administrators in February.

Ready to serve
Four local school board members have been nominated to serve as directors-at-large on KSBA’s board of directors. A nominating committee comprising KSBA board members appointed by President David Webster has recommended:

• Joe Brown, chairman of the Garrard County school board, who is completing his first three-year term as a director-at-large and has 31 years of board service.

• Venita Murphy of Webster County, who also would be taking on a second term as a director-at-large. She has 17 total years on her local board.

• Karen Byrd, a Boone County board veteran of 23 years who recently completed a term as regional chairperson on KSBA’s board representing the Northern Kentucky Region.

• Rhonda Hardy, chairwoman of the Estill County school board, who was elected in November 2016.

The four nominees will be ratified by the general membership at the business session held during KSBA’s annual conference, March 2–4 in Louisville.

School business
Owen County Schools Superintendent Rob Stafford was honored by the Owen County Chamber of Commerce in November. Citing his dedication to Owen County’s youth and the school district as a whole, the chamber named him the 2017 Business Person of the Year.

Stafford began his teaching career at the district’s Maurice Bowling Middle School in 1993 and later became principal of Owen County Elementary. He then moved on to district-level positions in the Washington and Scott county systems before being hired as Owen County Schools’ superintendent in 2013.

Stafford holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Berea College, a master’s degree in education from the University of Kentucky and a doctorate in education from Northern Kentucky University.

Ron Willhite, director of KSBA's School Energy Managers Project

State board energized
Ron Willhite (left), director of KSBA’s School Energy Managers Project, gave a presentation on the program’s results to the state Board of Education during its meeting Dec. 6. Willhite noted during the meeting that Kentucky’s 426 ENERGY STAR schools ranks Kentucky No. 5 among all states in the U.S. The project started with a $5 million federal economic stimulus grant in 2010 followed by an additional $5 million from utilities. After hearing Willhite detail the outcome, board Vice Chair Richard Gimmel observed that the $10 million in up-front money has supported districts with a total savings of $170 million to date and future savings at the rate of $42 million annually going forward.