Sherry Richardson

How many years have you lived in Clark County?

I moved to Clark County in 1978 from North Carolina. Both my parents were from Kentucky and I wanted to get back closer to home. I was in middle school and went to Conkwright.

Do you have any children in the Clark County school system currently or who have graduated?

I have 2 Children. Clay is 24 and graduated from GRC in 2014. Tate is currently a senior at GRC.

Outside of the School Board, where are you employed?

I work full time at Howards Overhead Doors. My position is listed as Treasurer and I do many things from answering the phone, paying invoices, taxes and payroll to taking out the garbage and cleaning the bathrooms. The only thing I don’t do is install doors… you wouldn’t want me to do that because I wouldn’t know where to start!

What are you most looking forward to when working with the newly elected board members?

I’m excited to work with our new members. My top priority will be working to get our students safely back to in person classes. I think they both will bring a lot of knowledge to the Board. I will definitely miss working with Gordon Parido and Scott Hisle as both of them have a wealth of knowledge that will be missed.

What change/fix to our community & school system is most important to you?

My number one priority is for students and educators to get back safely to in person classes. Our current platform needs improving. I realize that the pandemic pushed us to an emergency learning mode. I would like us to grow from this and prepare to improve on the distance learning platform.  I feel we could use the distance learning for homebound students or future needs if we could get it to where it needs to be.

How do you plan to tend to the students of Clark County and listen to their opinions/stances on certain topics or issues that may arise?

I would like to see a member of the student body of each grade attend our school board meetings. We have the ability to add in our agenda a time for students to address the board of things of interest to our students and to inform the board of things our students are doing in our schools or in the community. We would like to hear your needs and concerns.

What steps do you plan on taking to keep students & staff in Clark County safe from Covid-19 while also allowing them to learn/work in an ideal environment?

Clark County can be proud of our facilities. Superintendent Christy and the past boards have worked hard to install the latest and most efficient in air infiltrator systems. This helps circulate fresh air from outside into our buildings. This summer we installed a $600,000 Thermal Imaging System in every school that allows students to walk in school as normal and have their temperature taken. Our educators won’t have to stand in front of each student to take those temperatures. This ensures that we are social distancing while also ensuring no one is entering the buildings with a fever. 

What is your advice to the students of Clark County right now in regards to our current situation navigating sports & school amidst the pandemic?

Sports, as well as any extracurricular activity, are important to student learning and achievement and so many involved are working hard to keep those activities going. They may not be exactly what they have been in the past but any chance to play or participate is better than not having a season at all. Students might not realize that a lot of this relies on their actions. We need to be mindful of what we’ve been asked to do such as wearing our masks, washing our hands, and social distancing.