LaTonya Douglas said she gained so much great experience during her first term on the Lexington City School Board that she’s ready to do it all over again.
“I think your first term with anything is really a huge learning experience. You’re learning what’s important to your fellow board members and community members, learning new policies, and truly how you can help in your new role,” Douglas said. “I think I’ve learned a great deal and have brought a more open perspective to many of our meetings and concerning issues.”
Douglas, 39, is up for one of two open seats on the LCSB on Nov. 3, including one that is being vacated by Katie Shester. If elected, she would serve on the Board until 2030.
Douglas grew up in Buena Vista, but has lived much of her adult life in Lexington. She works as the center supervisor for Waddell Head Start.
“I get to do what I absolutely love every single day, spending time with children and families, working together to improve their school experiences as well as their home life circumstances,” Douglas said.
In her spare time, Douglas is raising four daughters, runs an outside catering business and loves to volunteer.
Douglas serves on the Brittigan Committee at Lexington Presbyterian, the Lex Roc BV Juneteenth Committee and the Lylburn Downing Middle School PTA. She also assists with the Saturdays Child Program at Peoples United Church in Buena Vista and is in the process of becoming a certified lay minister through the United Methodist Church.
So far, she hopes that she’s made a positive impact during her first term on the LCSB.
“I love that families are not afraid to come sit with me and share their thoughts about LCS and how we can make things better for all,” Douglas said. “I am blessed to be a listening ear for many, and they trust that I will carry their information on for improvement.”
Douglas said if reelected, she looks forward to helping to update the division’s non-resident student policies to make the process more effective for LCS families. The Board was faced with a challenge this year when three third-graders who had been at Waddell Elementary School since kindergarten were wait-listed because they live outside the Lexington city limits.
In a June 3 meeting, Douglas advocated for revisiting the enrollment policies for non-resident families who were already with the division.
“From the nonresident families, this becomes their home too,” Douglas said. “We think of them as ours, too, so it pulls at the heartstrings.”
Douglas said another major focus of a new term would be figuring out ways to maintain staff. She also said she hoped to use her position on the Board to help families who are financially struggling to learn about all the help agencies and resources the county has to offer.
“Child success starts with home/family success,” Douglas said. “We can’t expect children to excel in the classroom if they’re facing challenges at home, and the family feels unsupported,” Douglas said. “As a Board, we can’t solve financial problems for families, but we can most certainly be a bridge!”
