Bill Taulbee

How many years have you lived in Clark County?

51 Years, born and raised in Clark County.

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

I have had 2 children who attended Clark County Public Schools. My daughter (Emily) graduated from GRC in 2018 and my son (Chase) graduated in 2020. I was part of the GRC class of 1987 and my wife was part of the 1986 class.

Outside of the School Board, where are you employed?

I am employed by Five9 as a Sales Director. We are a Cloud Contact Center provider.

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

I am looking forward to hearing their ideas and suggestions on projects as well as issues facing our district. The New Board members and existing members have a diverse background in education and business. I believe this will lead to very positive and constructive conversations/decisions for our district.

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

As a lifelong Clark Countian, I would like to see our Community grow substantially over the next few years. The latest census data shows Clark County’s population at 36,263. I would like that to see that approach 40,000 over the next 5 years. That is approx 10% growth over that time period. I believe it is possible to attract families here as a result of growth in our surrounding counties. We start by making sure we have the best educators and facilities possible. I  believe we have a great district staff and our facilities are second to none with just a few projects remaining. It takes more than a school district to grow a community. It takes all the leaders in the community working together. I am willing to work with anyone that shares my vision for the community. That is more of a vision and philosophy for our community. There are several things that will take precedent next year. Below is what I consider my top priorities for next year.

• Continue to improve on our district’s Distance Learning program and make every effort to provide the best quality education possible to every student in Clark County. Work toward in person instruction when appropriate. The COVID infection rate in Clark County will dictate the timeline.
• Over the past few years our District’s Contingency fund has decreased significantly. As a District we need to look closely at our budget for any possible savings without jeopardizing any educational programs.
• I would like to see the District break ground on a new Pre-school next year. These funds will come from Construction funds not General funds so item 2 above does not apply to this project.
  

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 believe every current and new board member is open to listen to any concerns/opinions students have for our district. Students can attend our monthly Board meetings, they can send us emails or even call us. I did notice our cell phones are not listed on the Boards website, just our email. I will ask for mine to be added and hopefully other members will follow. Under normal situations I would also be open to host a Q&A at each school. Maybe we can set something remote just for students? I will check on if that is possible.

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?

The remote learning program we have rolled out is not perfect and never will replace in-person instruction as the best practice to educate students. However, this is the safest method to keep students, staff and community members as safe as possible from the spread of the virus. The district also purchased thermal imaging equipment for every school. This allows rapid temperature checks so students do not gather in one place for any length of time. Also, this equipment will be utilized after the COVID pandemic for facial recognition. Each School will have the ability to load authorized personnel that are allowed in the schools and alert officials if any unauthorized personnel enters. There are several applications for this facial recognition technology to keep students and staff safe.  

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

I would ask for everyone, students and our community, to continue to have patience and understanding. These are unprecedented times with no “How to Books” to follow on how to properly navigate the situation. The pandemic is affecting everything in our daily lives, not just K-12. It affects how Colleges and Universities are educating their students. Businesses have shut down, re-opened and shut down again. Companies have adopted work from home strategies and the list could go on. I would ask everyone involved in extracurricular activities to take a moment and understand that is a privilege and not a right. I am a big supporter of Athletics. I believe being part of a team or club in high school assists in students’ ability to understand how to work in a team environment after graduation.  As a district we are trying to keep these activities going but it is really up to members of each team to continue with social distancing and follow safety guidelines. One member of a team/club could jeopardize everyone associated within that team. As a district we have been following KHSAA guidelines as well as the Governor’s office. I see that continuing.