Students, faculty bring protest over school board actions to downtown Bardstown

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023 — Former Nelson County School Board member Damon Jackey was in downtown Bardstown Thursday morning participating in the student and faculty protest of the school board’s decision to eventually close Thomas Nelson High School and merge its students with Nelson County High School.

Regional news crews were also downtown, interviewing protestors as well as Jackey following his decision to resign from the board at the close of its meeting Tuesday night.

Jackey told WBRT that since the school board now will decide who fills his empty seat, parents and educators should watch to be sure a good candidate is selected to fill the vacancy.

“The choice has to be someone who is talking about all students, not just one idea, and not just one part of our county,” he said.

Jackey represented District 5, which includes the northeast Nelson County areas of Bloomfield and Chaplin.

The proposed Community Campus would have impacted the district with the closure of Bloomfield Middle School, he said.

“Yes, that concerned me, but I also have to be concerned with students all over the county.”

Whoever steps forward to be a candidate for the seat, Jackey urged the community “to make sure its someone who isn’t just saying ‘I’m for all students, I believe all students should succeed,’ but that their actions — past and current — align with those words.”

According to state law, the board of education has 60 days in which to select a new board member.

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