HUNTSVILLE | By a 5-2 vote on first ballot, the Scott County Board of Education on Wednesday selected current Scott High Principal Marc Taylor as Scott County’s next director of schools.
Taylor will become the 33rd person to serve in the capacity of the school system’s chief executive officer, and the fourth person who will serve in that role after being appointed by the Board of Education. The position was elected by the public from 1924 to 2000, and appointed by County Court — a forerunner to today’s County Commission — prior to that.
Taylor was one of six candidates to apply for the position, a number that was reduced to five after Fairview School Principal Scott Cash withdrew his name from consideration prior to interviews.
At Wednesday’s special called meeting, Taylor initially received the votes of 1st District Board Member Tommy Silcox, 4th District Board Member Kim Kidd, 5th District Board Member Angie King, and 7th District Board Member Dr. Tressa Murphy. That was enough to earn him the position, which prompted 6th District Board Member Llew Stanley to switch his vote from Keith Shannon to Taylor in a show of confidence.
Second District Board Member Diane Smith and 3rd District Board Member Chris Shelton voted for Kenny Chadwell.
Chadwell is currently the principal at LaFollette Elementary School and represents Scott County’s 4th District on County Commission.
Shannon is a former principal at Robbins School and is currently the director of the Morgan County Career & Technical Center in Wartburg.
Also in the running were Campbell County principal and Scott High alumnus Daniel Sexton, and former Texas school superintendent Jerry Gibson.
Taylor was viewed by many members of the public as a long shot at the beginning of the process. Despite spending many years as a coach and administrator at McCreary Central High School in nearby Stearns, Ky., the Williamsburg, Ky. native was relatively unknown locally prior to taking the role of principal at Scott High School this school year when Jeremy Hamby moved to Central Office to replace Shannon.
However, Taylor impressed many in the community — as well as on the school board — with his interview. Educators at Scott High School have also expressed confidence in his ability to make the move to Central Office, with many privately citing his firm but fair approach to school administration.
Taylor will replace Bill Hall, who retires in June as the longest-tenured director of schools in Scott County’s history — a distinction he shares with John Lee West, who served for 15 years in the 1930s and 1940s. Taylor will assume his duties on July 1, pending ratification of his contract with the school board.