They were late applying for Fayette County school board seat. Will they be considered?

Two people vying for the empty District 1 Fayette County school board seat who were late turning in their applications won’t be considered for the position.

The decision came Monday when the board met to determine whether to consider applications from two individuals interested in filling the District 1 board seat who turned in part of their application materials after the Dec. 23 deadline.

In discussing the decision, school board member Tom Jones mentioned that late applications for elected offices in races wouldn’t likely be accepted by the Fayette County Clerk’s Office.

The two applicants who were late and denied were not identified.

But two other people told the board they had applied.

Rock Daniels unsuccessfully asked the board to reconsider his application, saying he was unable to obtain a transcript from the school district where he graduated from by the deadline because the only employee who had access to it was out of the office. Daniels said, however, that he turned in other transcripts.

Daniels said he provided diversity in that he was Asian-American.

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 on their panel.

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.

Applicants who are under consideration 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.

Clark, Swope, and Jackson are black. Dixon said he is biracial -- his mother was white and his father is black.

Lori Wilson, who is white, told the board she was a late applicant but she did not want them to reconsider her.

She praised the diversity among the candidates who had been announced and said the board had the opportunity to choose a diverse candidate.

Clark Williams, representing black faith leaders, spoke to the school board during a forum about what the public wanted in the District 1 school board member. He said that the majority of Fayette students are students of color but the school board is currently composed of all white members.

“It is imperative that this board appoint a candidate who not only brings very much needed racial diversity to the school board but also possesses the unwavering belief that all students can and must learn,” he said. “This board must get this appointment right. It is critical for the candidate that you select to have already effectively demonstrated his or her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 6:03 PM.