Kentucky School Advocate
March 2015
There is no single way in which the 2015 Friend of Education winner supports the Hancock County school system.
That’s because Randy Stroup and his company, First Class Services Trucking, have supported every facet of the district and its students, both with monetary and personal backing.
PHOTO: From left to right, KSBA President Allen Kennedy, Friend of Education Award Winner Randy Stroup, and KSBA Associate Executive Director David Baird.
“The support has spanned athletics, academics, co-curricular, extracurricular, agriculture, college and career readiness programs and a variety of donations, adoptions and program sponsorships that have afforded our students opportunities for stronger programs and even for programs that they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to experience,” his nomination by Hancock County Schools said.
The award, sponsored by the Kentucky School Boards Association, was presented Feb. 28 during the association’s annual conference in Louisville. "I cannot think of any better compliment than your recognition," Stroup said in receiving the honor.
Stroup has carried over to the school district his business philosophy of hiring and investing in good people, reflecting “a belief that investing in HCPS and our students will yield a better community filled with more qualified, competent potential employees for his and other businesses,” the nomination said.
Most recently, Stroup, a lifelong resident of Hancock County who regularly attends school functions, funded the inaugural year of the Hancock Early College Academy. This enabled two Hancock County High School juniors to attend Owensboro Community and Technical College for courses while they are high school students. They will eventually graduate with not only a high school diploma but an associate degree from the community college.
The contributions of Stroup and his company not only show a belief in the community’s young adults , the nomination said, and partnering with the school district “to produce young men and women prepared to function as 21st century citizens and help propel Hancock County forward socially, economically and culturally.”