ELECTION PREVIEW: Laurel School Board District 1

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·4 min read

Oct. 19—Editor's Note: Having not appeared on the Primary ballot, both nonpartisan races for seats on the Laurel County Board of Education are contested with the incumbents opting not to run. In District 1, the candidates are Tony Krahenbuhl and Teton Juh-Rawn Napier.

TONY KRAHENBUHL

Knowing that his child is safe and learning is vital to Tony Krahenbuhl, who is seeking the seat for the Laurel County School District 1.

Krahenbuhl is a lifelong resident of Laurel County — the third generation to be born in the county and the fifth generation to reside here. He is a local banker who has worked at the same facility for 24 years. He is also pastor of Fariston United Baptist Church, where he has served for three years.

He sees his daughter's education as priority for the future and the inspiration for his campaign to serve on the school board.

"Her education is obviously an interest of mine," he said. "I would also like to ensure that funds are spent to better the school system and better for all the staff."

He feels the Laurel school district has made great strides with Blue Ribbon schools and national recognitions.

"We're in the Top 10 in the state — I'd like to see Laurel County as #1, which is a big goal," he said. "But we rank above some of the surrounding counties because we are very competitive in education."

While he believes the school district is doing well and has made excellent decisions on facilities and funding, he knows there is always room for improvement.

"The auxiliary gyms were a good idea," he added. "There are always uses for those, rather than going to the (Corbin) Arena."

What he would like to change is having more transparency in the operations of the school district with the public. He added that better scheduling for students would also accentuate the advancement of the district.

But primarily, Krahenbuhl wants to ensure that the Laurel public schools are focusing on educational opportunities to give every child the most that can be offered — not only his own daughter, but every child enrolled in the district. Seeking to serve on the school board is just another way that he can be involved and ensure that goal is reached.

TETON JUH-RAWN NAPIER

Letting the public know more of the procedures of the Laurel County School District is priority for Juh-Rawn Napier.

With two children enrolled in the district, Napier wants to give people a voice and work hard to ensure that the staff and students are receiving all the support they need.

Napier, a native of East Bernstadt, has been employed at the same job for 23 years and has a child in elementary school and one in middle school. He sees the various programs offered by the school district and wants to see them expand and improve.

"There are a lot of programs that the schools need to offer," he said. "There should be funding for uniforms and equipment. We need more programs on drug abuse."

He advocates for more transparency for parents and the general public.

"There should be forms for people to fill out to give them a voice," he said. "The meetings could be live streamed."

For the best education possible, Napier said the staff should be a major focus.

"The teachers are the foundation to student lives and careers," he said. "We need to do all we can for our teachers, give raises, give them what they need. If you have happy employees, you have better employees."

He commends the current school board members as well as the school administrators for their foresight and academic successes.

"The schools have done well. Academics rank well. Dr. Bennett heads the school district well and the board has been very proactive in facilities," he said. "They've been proactive in creating a police department and making security a top priority."

He also praised the addition of the auxiliary gyms that are now under construction at both high schools.

"The auxiliary gyms are a great idea — my daughter plays sports and she will benefit from those.

But most importantly, Napier wants to ensure that the children in the county receive the best education possible — and by serving on the school board he can take another step toward making that happen.