Hall honored for more than three decades on Nelson County school board

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Sen. Jimmy Higdon, left, presents Frank Hall with a resolution honoring his 3-1/2 decades of service as a member of the Nelson County Board of Education. Click to enlarge.

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014, 10:45 p.m. — In reflecting on 36 years of serving on the Nelson County Board of Education, Frank Hall is quick to credit the contributions of others for the school district’s three-and-a-half decades of educational progress.

“It takes a team to get things done and we’ve had a lot of good team players over the years,” Hall told the crowd during a reception to honor his service and that of fellow board member Nicky Rapier. Both men leave the board at the end of the month.

Hall said he first decided to run for a seat on the school board because he wanted to make sure his children had good schools to attend.

“What I realized was I didn’t have three kids, but as a board member I had 4,600 kids to consider their educations,” he said. “I’ve spent half my life serving the schools, and we’ve done a tremendous job of building the resources and buildings that are necessary for children to learn in. We’ve tried to build an environment that will help children learn.”

Hall admits he never thought he would be on the school board for more than three decades. He has served nine terms on the board and each time was re-elected without opposition. He has served eight times as board chairman and eight times as board vice chairman.

One of his greatest pleasures during his years of service is hearing of the successes of students who attended the district’s schools.

Board member Damon Jackey presents Frank Hall with the board’s resolution, calling Hall a “roll-up-his-sleeves man of action.” Click to enlarge.

“I would like to think that the work we’ve done over the years is a little part of that success,” he said.

Hall called his service as a board member “a rewarding experience.”

“There are a lot of challenges that you have to deal with,” he said. “We’ve taken those challenges head on, and as a result I think we have a school system that is one of the best in the state.”

Hall said he’s generally pleased that the district’s facilities provide comfortable and safe learning environments. “There’s always something that comes up, but when it has we’ve always addressed it,” he said.

Hall credited the teachers for their contributions in improving the district’s schools. “It takes a team to do it, and we have a team that works,” he said.

During the reception, Hall and Rapier were presented with proclamations from 14th District Sen. Jimmy Higdon and Orr presented the pair with proclamations from 50th District Rep. David Floyd.

Departing board members Nicky Rapier and Frank Hall are joined by Superintendent Anthony Orr and board members Diane Berry, Larry Pate and Damon Jackey as they hold their Kentucky Colonel commissions. Click to enlarge.

Hall and Rapier were also honored during the board of education meeting after the reception, with resolutions from the school board highlighting their contributions to the district during their terms. Both men were also presented commissions inducting them into the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.

The board’s resolution called Hall a “roll-up-his-sleeves man of action” and also highlighted his long record of service in the military, in the community.

Board member Damon Jackey noted that Hall’s service has been publicly recognized in the past. Hall was named to the 1998 Bardstown-Nelson County Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame and in 2004, he was named the Nelson County Volunteer of the Year.

Though he is leaving the board at the end of this month, Hall said he plans to keep an eye on the school system even after he leaves the board.

“I’ve spent half my life serving the schools,” he said. “I’ll be back in the schools, and I’ll be looking at what we’ve accomplished and what needs to be accomplished. And if there’s some way I can help, I will.”

-30-