The JCPS School board elections are this November 6, and 15 people are up for three spots in three different districts, District Four, District Two, and District Seven.
District Four has six candidates, District Seven has five candidates, and District Two has four candidates.
The candidates are up for spots of the retired board members Steve Imhoff, Joe Hardesty and Larry Hujo whose terms are ending December 3.
Key issues for the election this year are things such as the controversial student assignment plan and test scores.
In an interview with the Courier Journal, Lloyd “Chip” White, running for District 4, said “The 13 new clusters are much smaller which causes schools to be closer to home and ride times to be shorter, so children will stay in their neighborhood’s proximity. I wouldn’t want to use a neighborhood schools approach that would sacrifice school choice for parents and their children,” regarding the student assignment plan.
But David A. Jones Jr., running for District 2, said, “While I understand that many families feel strongly about their neighborhood school, for many other families the neighborhood school is not a good choice – in part because we have many under-performing schools, and in part because parents make many different decisions about what’s best for their kids. The fact is, every school in every neighborhood should be an exceptional choice. And because every family and every child has different needs, I believe that having more choices serves our community well. A neighborhood school policy would reduce choice.”
The election is important for students and parents of students that attend public schools because the Board of Education has many important jobs, such as appointing a superintendent, approving budget changes and other purchases by JCPS, and approving instructional programs for our schools.
For more information on the candidates and their views on the issues facing JCPS you can go here:
District 2: http://c3.thevoterguide.org/v/louisvill … d=11057450
District 4: http://c3.thevoterguide.org/v/louisvill … d=11057451
District 7: http://c3.thevoterguide.org/v/louisvill … d=11057452
