Contact: Lisa Deffendall • First Posted: Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Fayette County Board of Education will have one new member and the continued service of an incumbent following the results of Tuesday’s school board elections.

Amanda Ferguson, a lifelong resident of Fayette County and mother of three, was re-elected for her second four-year term as the District 4 representative.  Doug Barnett, a political newcomer and father of two, was elected to his first four-year term representing District 2.

“Our school board members have an important role in helping the district achieve its mission of doing what’s best for students,” said Superintendent Stu Silberman. “We appreciate the people who are willing to step up to serve in this capacity.”

District 2

Barnett, a Garrard County native who has lived in Lexington since 2001, said running for school board met his twin passions of community service and education.

“I wanted to make sure that every kid got a great opportunity to go to school and I wanted to make sure every kid had an opportunity to reach their goals,” he said. “Education is important to me and I felt like this was the best way I had to give back to the community – by serving on the school board.”

Barnett said his service will focus on student achievement and parent involvement.

“I’d like to see all of our schools performing at the highest levels possible. I’d like to see all of our kids be able to test well and learn at high levels,” he said. “I’d also like to be able to bring our neighborhoods and schools closer together and foster partnerships to assist our kids, because community and parental involvement is the key to a great education.”

During his campaign, he also suggested looking for ways to do away with school supply lists.

“One of my goals would be to be able to provide every child in Fayette County basic school supplies at no charge,” he said.

Barnett, 35, works as a senior staff attorney for the Kentucky Court of Appeals.  He and his wife Jennifer have two sons – a second-grader at Sandersville Elementary and an 11-month-old.  He holds a bachelor’s and law degree from the University of Kentucky.


District 4

Ferguson credits her parents, who were both teachers, with shaping her outlook on learning.

“My lifelong love of education and learning inspired me to run for this office and has driven me to work passionately for children these past four years,” Ferguson wrote recently.  She has pledged to build on the experience she’s gained in her previous service to guide the district over the next four years.

“While we still have obstacles to overcome, our schools have taken significant steps forward,” she wrote. “I have been and remain committed to the betterment of Lexington and all its children.  I am eager to continue working.”

Ferguson has also been an active member of the PTA at Cassidy, where she was recently elected vice president.  During her time on the school board, Ferguson has served as a member of the budget and finance committee and pushed for the expansion of the Spanish immersion tracks at the elementary-school level.

“I would love to offer foreign language to every student who wants it,” said Ferguson, who studied French and Spanish.

Ferguson, 44, balances her board responsibilities with full-time motherhood. She and her husband Todd have a seventh grade son who attends Winburn Middle, and two daughters – a first-grader and a fourth-grader – who attend Cassidy Elementary.  She holds a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Kentucky and a master’s in psychology from Vanderbilt University.