After 20 years on Whitley BOE, Lambdin opts to not seek another term

The Whitley County Board of Education will be getting one new member and will have to elect a new board chairman next year.

Whitley County Board of Education Chairman Larry Lambdin (second from left) has decided not to seek another term on the school board.

The board’s second longest serving member, Larry Lambdin, who is also the board chairman, did not file to run for re-election this year as the filing deadline for school board races came and went at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

“I am proud to say I am a Whitley County graduate. I am honored to have been on the board with everybody that I have been on the board with,” Lambdin said. “After 20 years, I guess it is time to let somebody else take it for a while.”

Lambdin said that he would probably miss the students more than anything.

“One of the things I felt like was my area on the board was that I did have two kids in the school system,” Lambdin noted. “When I was first appointed to the board, I think my daughter was three or four years old, and my kids have come up through the system. I am proud to say they are both Whitley County graduates too.”

“You get a lot of information from the teachers and the administration, but when the kids come home, they say, ‘Dad, here is what the kids are saying.’ I feel like there was always that insight, which I provided to the board. Malorie Cooper, her kids were in the school system too. We had more insight on certain things then other board members did.”

Lambdin’s youngest child, Logan, graduated this year, which was a factor in his decision not to seek re-election.

Lambdin said that he feels like he is leaving the board with the district moving in the right direction.

“Look at where we are ranked. Academically, we are one of the top school districts in the state. We have the best board in the state. I think Whitley County is far, far ahead of many schools. It has been a pleasure and a real honor to have been on the board,” he noted.

Lambdin has high praise for his successor on the board, Kenny Carr, who is a local banker and minister and the only person that filed for the seat.

“I don’t think there is any better guy. I think he will be a lot better board member than me. Kenny Carr, I would vote for him over me any way,” Lambdin said half laughingly.

Lambdin’s advice for Carr is to keep an open mind, listen to all the information given to him, pray and make the best decision that he can.

Carr is uncontested in his bid for the First-District board seat that Lambdin currently holds.

Second-District board member Brenda S. Rose, who was appointed last year to fill out the remainder of Delmar Mahan’s term in office, is also unopposed.

There are no contested races for either the Corbin or Williamsburg independent boards of education.

Incumbent board members Kimberly Sasser Croley and Carcille Burchette both filed to run for re-election to the Corbin Independent Board of Education.

All three incumbent Williamsburg Independent Board of Education members, who are up for re-election this year, filed to run, including: Kim Williams, Roger Faulkner and John Jeffries.

Kim Broome White, who was recently appointed to replace Jason Caddell on the board, is also unopposed in her bid to fill out the remainder of Caddell’s term in office.