LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Three candidates running for the District 2 seat on the Jefferson County Board of Education took part in a candidate forum Wednesday night.
Robert Kahne, Tim Shaughnessy and Lillian Brents took part in the second of five JCPS school board candidate forums. Five candidates are on the ballot in District 2. Four had committed to attend Wednesday's forum, but only three showed up.
The candidates were asked what they would prioritize first if elected to the newly restructured school board.
For Brents, that starts with transparency and trust.
"We have to trust who we have at the table," Brents said.
Kahne said his focus would be on teachers and their relationships with students.
"Every single thing that happens in this district is downstream of the relationship between student and teacher," Kahne said. "If the students are learning, they're learning from the teachers. That is the way that school works. That is the first place we look when we're trying to improve this school system."
Shaughnessy said the district needs a clear, multiyear plan that connects its goals with how it spends its resources.
"We need to get everybody on the same page," Shaughnessy said. "We need a specific plan. We need a multiyear plan that aligns our resources with our objectives, with accountability and time frames."
The candidates also fielded questions about staff recruitment and retention, student achievement and how the school board should operate.
All five seats on the newly restructured Jefferson County Board of Education are up for election in November. In all, 22 candidates are running.
Click here to learn more about each candidate their specific plans to improve JCPS.
The next forum is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. at Eastern High School, featuring the candidates running in District 3.
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