Incumbents Jeremy Edge and Melissa Decker have been reelected to the Owensboro Public Schools Board of Education, while Leigh Rhoads Doyal took the third available seat in a four-candidate race.
Edge is the current chairman and returns to the board for a second term after receiving 6,426 votes (29.22%). Decker claimed 6,424 votes (29.21%) and also returns for a second term.
Rhoads Doyal garnered 5,192 votes (23.61%) to claim the seat left vacant by Dan Griffith, who decided not to run for reelection. Mallory Leucht was the fourth candidate and received 3,949 votes (17.96%).
Edge was grateful for the number of votes he received.
“I am honored and humbled to get all those votes,” he said. “That’s a lot of people in town that trust you and have confidence in you. You like to think that folks think you’re doing a good job. Obviously with everything going on with COVID-19, not all of our decisions are perfect. But I hope everybody knows that our hearts are in the right places in trying to do things for the kids and their families.”
Edge said far and away the top priority is finding a way to return to school full scale, but they have to balance safety of everyone involved.
“Job one for sure right now is trying to figure out the best way to get kids back in the schools as much as we can and being safe about it at the same time,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of kids in multi-generational settings, so you just want to make sure that everything we’re doing is best for education but everyone is safe while we’re doing it.”
Decker was also thankful to receive such a large portion of the votes.
“My initial overall reaction to being elected is a sense of gratitude and humility,” she said. “It feels good to think that I’ve been doing well enough that this many people voted for me to continue serving on the board.”
Like Edge and most school officials, Decker said the main focus for now is to continue working toward a plan that keeps the OPS family healthy and safe, yet gets their children back to in-person learning.
“So much focus has been placed on how best to educate during the time of COVID-19 that long-term goals can seem like a luxury, but I’m proud of the education and other opportunities offered by Owensboro Public Schools, and I look forward to helping our district’s continued growth and betterment as we move forward,” she said.
Rhoads Doyal is excited to take on her new role on the board.
“I am so thankful that the voters have entrusted me to be on the board and be a part of making crucial decisions for our schools and community,” she said. “I will do my best to ensure that every student is able to receive the education he or she needs and deserves.”
Rhoads Doyal said to get students back in school full-time will require a joint effort from everyone.
“This will take collaboration from our entire district and our community to make sure we are doing our part to curb the spread of the virus,” she said. “I also want to make sure that each of our students are getting rigorous instruction no matter the platform — virtual, AB, or in person.”
Though she’s a new face, Rhoads Doyal already has a vision for the future.
“Long-term, I want OPS to invest in mental health resources that will help our students feel secured and cared for,” she said. “I want to look for ways to invest in our teachers and curriculum to make the classroom experience an excellent place of rich learning for every student. I plan to intentionally spend time in each of our schools and meeting with staff, teachers, and administrators, getting to know the unique needs and tensions that they face daily.”
