JCPS board member Chris Kolb dropping re-election bid
MARK VANDERHOFF SAT DOWN WITH HIM TODAY TO DISCUSS HIS DECISION. THERE’S NOTHING MORE I COULD HAVE DONE TO SHOW UP FOR TEACHERS OVER THE LAST SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS, OR THE UNION, SO, YOU KNOW, IF THAT’S NOT ENOUGH, THEN I’M JUST NOT THE GUY FOR THIS JOB ANYMORE. CHRIS KOLB SAYS HE DECIDED TO DROP HIS REELECTION BID AFTER FINDING OUT THE JEFFERSON COUNTY TEACHERS ASSOCIATION WAS NOT GOING TO ENDORSE HIM IN HIS RACE. THE DECISION COMES AFTER KOLB PENNED A SCATHING LETTER CRITICIZING SOME TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS WHO SPOKE OUT AGAINST NEW START TIMES FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. ARE YOU WORRIED THAT WITHOUT JCT’S ENDORSEMENT, THAT YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO WIN THE RACE? YOU KNOW, IF THEY DON’T WANT TO ENDORSE ME, THEN, UM, IT’S YOU KNOW, I DON’T HAVE THE ENERGY TO TO PUT FORWARD FOR THIS. IF YOU’RE, YOU KNOW, FRIENDS AND ALLIES AREN’T GOING TO STAND BEHIND YOU THAT I LOVE THIS JOB, BUT IT IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF THANKLESS. AND I’M I’M KIND OF RELIEVED TO BE STEPPING ASIDE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. TWO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, JOE MARSHALL AND SARAH COLE MCINTOSH, DID NOT FILE TO RUN FOR REELECTION THIS YEAR, MEANING ROUGHLY HALF THE BOARD WILL SOON BE NEW MEMBERS. THE NEW SCHOOL BOARD IS GOING TO FACE A VARIETY OF CHALLENGES A STATE AUDIT TALK AMONG SOME STATE LAWMAKERS OF BREAKING UP THE DISTRICT, THE POSSIBILITY OF ONGOING TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS, HAVING TO RENEGOTIATE, SUPERINTENDENT MARTY POLIOS CONTRACT OR THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING TO FIND A NEW SUPERINTENDENT, KOLB DOES NOT BELIEVE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES ARE GOING AWAY ANY TIME SOON. THE BOARD, IN MY MIND, HAS NOT TAKEN ENOUGH RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TRANSPORTATION CRISIS AND HAS BEEN KIND OF CONTENT TO LAY IT AT DOCTOR POLIO’S FEET AND DON’T GET ME WRONG, I MEAN, THERE’S A LOT OF BLAME TO GO AROUND, AND DOCTOR POLIO DEFINITELY SHARES A BIG PART OF IT. BUT LAST YEAR, FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE RAISED REVENUE TO IMMEDIATELY INCREASE TEACHER AND OTHER STAFF, INCLUDING BUS DRIVER SALARIES SIGNIFICANTLY. THAT, HE SAYS, MEANS RAISING PROPERTY TAXES, SOMETHING HE SAYS IS TOUG
JCPS board member Chris Kolb dropping re-election bid
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Updated: 6:22 PM EDT Jun 17, 2024
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Jefferson County Board of Education member Chris Kolb announced Monday he is dropping out of the race for his school board seat.Kolb said he made the decision after the Jefferson County Teachers Association told him they would not be endorsing anyone in his District 2 race."There's nothing more I could have done to show up more for teachers over the last even and a half years or the union, so, if that's not enough, I'm just not the guy for this job anymore," he said.JCTA's endorsement chair, Cassie Lyles, confirmed they are staying neutral in the race. The timing comes after Kolb wrote a controversial letter criticizing some teachers and principals who spoke publicly at a school board meeting against new start times for the 2024-25 school year.But Kolb said he did not think that was a factor, calling the decision "political." He would have faced two other opponents, attorney Tricia Lister and Abby Berthold, a former JCPS teacher who now works as an education consultant."You know, if they don't want to endorse me, then I don't have the energy to put forward for this if your friends and allies aren't going to stand behind you," Kolb said. "I love this job, but it is the very definition of thankless, and I'm kind of relieved to be stepping aside at the end of the year."Kolb was first elected in 2016, when he unseated incumbent David Jones Jr., who at the time was chair of the school board.Kolb said he would serve out the remainder of his term, which ends Dec. 31.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Board of Education member Chris Kolb announced Monday he is dropping out of the race for his school board seat.
Kolb said he made the decision after the Jefferson County Teachers Association told him they would not be endorsing anyone in his District 2 race.
"There's nothing more I could have done to show up more for teachers over the last even and a half years or the union, so, if that's not enough, I'm just not the guy for this job anymore," he said.
JCTA's endorsement chair, Cassie Lyles, confirmed they are staying neutral in the race.
The timing comes after Kolb wrote a controversial letter criticizing some teachers and principals who spoke publicly at a school board meeting against new start times for the 2024-25 school year.
But Kolb said he did not think that was a factor, calling the decision "political." He would have faced two other opponents, attorney Tricia Lister and Abby Berthold, a former JCPS teacher who now works as an education consultant.
"You know, if they don't want to endorse me, then I don't have the energy to put forward for this if your friends and allies aren't going to stand behind you," Kolb said. "I love this job, but it is the very definition of thankless, and I'm kind of relieved to be stepping aside at the end of the year."
Kolb was first elected in 2016, when he unseated incumbent David Jones Jr., who at the time was chair of the school board.
Kolb said he would serve out the remainder of his term, which ends Dec. 31.
