Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Lincoln County Board of Education opened their regular monthly meeting by reading a poem and holding a moment of silence to remember District 1 member Marvin Wilson, who passed away on April 6. 

Wilson was a bus driver for Lincoln County for more than 20 years and was serving his second year of his second term on the school board. 

On Thursday, April 18, the board discussed the process of filling the board vacancy. 

Board Attorney Grant Chenoweth said the board must first declare the vacancy, effective beginning April 18. 

“You then have 60 days triggered under that statute to advertise and interview potential board appointees and to make that appointment,” he said. 

That gives the board until June 17 to make an appointment to fill the seat until a special election can be held in November. The special election will determine who fills the seat for the final two years of his term. The seat will be up again in 2026 for a full four-year term. 

If the board does not make an appointment in that timeframe, the decision then goes to the Commissioner of Education. 

Interested applicants must submit their application with supporting documentation to the Board of Education located at 305 Danville Avenue in a sealed envelope marked “Board Member Vacancy” by 4 p.m. on May 9. 

A link to the application for board vacancy can be found at www.lincoln.kyschools.us or at https://5il.co/kx5x. 

Board members must be at least 24 years of age and a Kentucky citizen for the last three years; be a registered voter in District 1; have completed the 12th grade or have a GED certificate; meet all other legal qualifications under KRS. 160.180; and complete required annual in-service training. 

Board hears from several about state of LCHS Agriculture program 

The school board heard comments from several people, beginning with Nick Carter, on the state of the LCHS agriculture program and possible removal of one position. 

Carter, who serves as the chairman of the Kentucky FFA Foundation, said he was there to address the budgetary issue of staffing the local Ag program. Carter spoke in support of maintaining the employment of current Ag teacher Corey Quisenberry. 

“I would urge us to do everything we can to keep the staffing level where it is at the Ag program,” Carter said. 

Kayln Peek, LCHS FFA president, also shared information about the Ag program. Peek said there are currently 300 members, which equates to one-third of the school’s population. 

“With this amount of students enrolled in our program we need at least three Ag teachers to support this amount of kids,” Peek said. “Most chapters our size, with the amount of involvement we have, have four teachers.” 

Peek said she cannot understand cutting a certified Ag teacher in not only the largest club in the school, but one of the most active and largest chapters in the state. 

Tessa Johnson spoke as a parent of an FFA student who Quisenberry has inspired and encouraged during his time in the program. 

“If it wasn’t for her, he wouldn’t be going to college to be an Ag Education major,” Johnson said. “He wants to give back to kids what she instilled in him.” 

The board also heard from FFA members Elijah Johnson, Madeline Funkhouser, William Schuler, Cara Douglas, Ag teacher Harvey Franklin and Damon Spigle, who spoke in support of the teacher and the classes that she teaches. 

Following the discussion, Chairman Etta Meek said the issue has to go before the high school’s site-based council.