Fayette County school board chooses a new member to fill District 1 vacancy

Marilyn Clark will fill the vacant District 1 seat on the board of the Fayette County Public Schools.

The Fayette County school board voted unanimously on Tuesday evening to appoint her to the seat after a closed session that lasted more than three hours.

With the resignation of former District 1 board member Christy Morris in November, the remaining four school board members are responsible for filling the vacant seat. Clark will serve until the next general election Nov. 7, when voters will choose a board member to serve the remainder of the term through the end of 2024.

District 1 is in west Fayette County and pulls from areas between Leestown and Harrodsburg roads.

Clark is 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.

In her application, she said she wants to serve on the board of education “to do my small part to invest in the lives of young people and to build and improve the future of our community.” Clark wants the district to become a leader in statewide and local workforce development plans.

Clark is Black. Before she was appointed, all the current Fayette County school board members were white. The lack of diversity had been a concern for community members.

“Our board team was impressed with Marilyn Clark’s her demonstrated commitment to and passion for the success of every child in our public schools and to strengthening our partnerships throughout our community,” board Chairman Tyler Murphy said. “We closely reviewed the input we received from our community and felt that Marilyn Clark’s responses most closely aligned with those expressed desires. We recognize that board members represent the entire community whether they are elected or appointed and this input helped guide our decision.“

The other candidates for the seat included Jerome Higginbotham, Edward Dixon and William Swope Jr.

Higginbotham was added to the roster of candidates after it was discovered that his paper application for the seat had been lost.

To be eligible to be considered for the seat, individuals had to be at least 24 years old, have been a Kentucky citizen for at least the last three years, be a registered voter in District 1, have completed the 12th grade or have a GED certificate (transcript or certificate required), meet all other legal eligibility requirements in accordance with KRS 160.180, and once selected, complete required annual in-service training.

The district offered several opportunities for the community to participate in the selection process, including a survey, public hearing, student-led forum and a reception.

Clark is expected to be sworn in before the next board meeting Jan. 23, the district said in a news release.

This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 8:36 PM.