HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The District 5 seat on the Christian County Board of Education will be on the Nov. 3 ballot for the general election. There are currently three candidates running for the position, having recently participated in a public forum about key issues.

Robert Webb, Dr. Whitney Holland and Dr. Twan Doan are currently running for District 5, which is the only school board race this election cycle since the only opposition to Lindsey Clark for district three dropped out of the race. School board seats are currently on a two-year rotational basis.

School board seat vacancy, superintendent encourages voting

District 5 is comprised of a large section of east Hopkinsville and Christian County, as shown on the district map. For the past 12 years, Tom Bell served on the school board, acting as Chair of the board before resigning in August.

“They’ve got big shoes to fill in my opinion with Mr. Bell stepping off the board,” said CCPS Superintendent Chris Bentzel about the candidates, also encouraging residents in the district to vote. “I think they are all capable and this is the chance for people in district five to really voice who they favor in regard to what values each of those candidates brings to the table.”

Since the elected candidate will be filling a seat that is currently vacant, Bentzel added that they will be sworn into the board as soon as possible after the election and may not wait until January 2027 to assume their new position like the other candidates in the election.

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Highlights from candidate forum

The Hopkinsville League of Women Voters held a candidate forum on Oct. 19, where the three candidates were able to address key issues and share what drives their school board campaign in order to allow residents to make an informed decision about their vote.

Candidates were given three minutes to answer each question, and one minute for rebuttals. Questions were not given to the candidates beforehand. Below is a summary of how each candidate responded to a few of the topics during the forum in the rotating order in which they spoke. A full video of the forum can be found on the City of Hopkinsville YouTube channel.

Topics discussed:

Opening statements

Doan: “I am an educator, coach, husband, father of six and a candidate for Christian County Board of Education district five…Our children deserve results, our taxpayers deserve answers, our teachers deserve actions.”

Doan added that students need measurable goals and accountability to push them forward. He also suggested having regular public forums with the board and finance director before major spending decisions are made. Doan also said that raising teacher pay further should be a priority.

Holland: “I am running for school board because I believe the decision we make about our schools are some of the most important decisions we can make for the future of our community. But, for me, this personal…I see firsthand the incredible things our teachers and staff are doing, and I also see the challenges our schools and families face.”

Holland continued to say that she is a mom of two children who attend CCPS, one of which who has a disability. She said this makes her more attentive to certain aspects of the school experience when it comes to make sure student’s needs are being considered. As a board member she will be present and engaged with an emphasis on transparency and collaboration to do what is best for students, staff and families.

Webb: Webb said he is a minister of a local church who is experienced in ethics and morals and is also a local business owner who has served on non-profit boards and committees for the past few decades. This has given him experience with working on budgets and business leadership. He added that being responsive to student’s needs also means being responsive to teacher’s needs, which includes raising pay.

“I have a commonsense approach…I want to represent the people in district five, and I will use that businesses, commonsense, ethics and morality to do that.”

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Budget priorities

Candidates were asked what areas they would protect and reduce if the district was faced with a significant revenue shortfall.

Holland: She would protect teacher compensation and would re-evaluate programs that may not be as effective for students.

Webb: Salaries would be important to protect, and he would open a dialog with constituents about potential places for reductions.

Doan: He would protect programs and support that is in place for marginalized students that fall between the “achievement gaps”. He said that for cuts, an analysis could be done to best determine where their weaknesses are.

Balancing student services

Candidates were asked how the district should balance academic expectations with the need for counseling, mental health resources and other support services for students.

Doan: He said it is important for all three of those services to get attention, emphasizing the need for balance. He said the district needs to be sure that teachers are properly trained. He said it’s a delicate dance to make sure they are providing support.

Holland: She agreed that it is important to have trained professionals that can deal with mental health issues, saying that they should look at students as a whole, not just as test scores, and meet them where they are.

Webb: He said that his experience working at Trace Industries with individuals with various mental disabilities has made him aware of the need for services in order for them to thrive. He thinks it should also be easier to get a teaching certificate, which may allow older individuals to pass along their knowledge. He said there needs to be a balance of finding people who want to help students.

In response to this answer, Doan used his rebuttal to ask Webb to expand upon his desire to make obtaining a teaching certificate easier. Webb said that it is a long process for a person to switch careers if they want to pursue teaching later in life using their present job experience.

Improving communication

Candidates were asked what CCPS should do differently to improve communication between schools, parents and the district office.

Doan: He feels that there are a few additions CCPS could add to improve communication which includes an easier process for residents to speak at school board meetings to get them more involved. He said the finance director could also be more available for transparency purposes.

Holland: She agreed that CCPS already does a good job with communication through ParentSquare and other communication methods. However, she feels the board should create opportunities for families to voice their opinions and receive information directly from the board.

Webb: He said CCPS needs to listen better to students and community members, saying that he has heard from several CCHS upperclassmen that they are very dissatisfied with operations at the new high school with the academy model.

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