This year, the Clinton County Board of Education only a slight change from its previous makeup, with one new member being elected and seated for a four year term.

(The five school board members are elected on a “staggered” election year basis–two during one election cycle and three during another.)

Jeremy Fryman, at age 38, is one of the youngest members on the governing body and had never sought a political seat prior to last year. He ran unopposed in the November election, filling the seat of long-time member Kevin Marcum.

Marcum had originally filed for reelection to the non-partisan seat in early January of last year, but decided later not to run for another term, and withdrew his candidacy later last spring.

Fryman, although a Covington, Kentucky, native, is basically a life-long resident of Clinton County, the son of Jeff and Gail Fryman of Albany. His grandfather, Richard Fryman, also served as a State Representative for this district years ago.

Fryman noted that his father, who had a boxing career when he was born, did not want him to be born in Ohio, so they moved across the line to Covington, Kentucky, but he has lived in Clinton County since childhood, with his family living in the Piney Woods Community.

Fryman is married to the former Bethany Irwin and they have three sons, Jet, 13, Jagger, 6, and Beckett, age one and-a-half.

The new board member recalls his family lived a couple of years in McCreary County, but then came back to live in Clinton County where his father got a job teaching. His mother works at the Clinton County Health Department.

Fryman graduated from Clinton County High School in 2004, attended Lindsey Wilson College where he was on the cheerleading team for a while, then went to Somerset Community College where he briefly studied Physical Therapy.

However, Fryman found his calling when he went to lineman school through KCTCS and has worked in that profession out of Columbia for the past eight years.

Fryman immediately said he ran for school board for “children,” saying he feels the school system can always be better. He also added several parents wanted him to run and after battling with whether or not to, he decided it was the thing to do.

The first time board member said perhaps the most pressing issue for him in the schools was child safety, being a strong advocate for an SRO (School Resource Officer) in each school facility.

“Several hundred (students) are being dropped off at school, and they need to feel protected at all times,” said Fryman.

He said that while campaigning with residents in his district, more than anything, “bullying” was a concern they had. “Several children in the school district are either being home schooled, attend Christian schools, or schools outside of the county,” he added.

“I am a big advocate for public schools,” Fryman stressed. He said that being in a public school setting teaches children how to deal and associate with all types of people, ethnic groups and helps them deal with any situation in life.

“They will meet those people with different religions, ethnic backgrounds and cultures all their life, whether they are rich or poor,” he said.

Fryman feels a duty of a school board member is to make the Clinton County School System a great place to learn and develop children. “We need to make parents confident they can drop off their kids and know the system is doing their job,” he said.

Fryman would also like to see more parent/guardian involvement in decisions the school system makes regarding their children.

“Decisions concern parents, grandparents and others, and I would like to see more of them at every (board) meeting,” he said.

He said the school district should be transparent on what goes on in the system. However, “to an extent.” “Some people don’t know what powers a board has or doesn’t have,” he said.

And, when it comes to children, due to their ages, there is a lot of confidentiality involved and some kinds of information cannot legally be released.

Many also do not realize that school boards do not have any involvement in “hiring or firing” staff, as the only two individuals a board hires, by law, is the schools superintendent and board attorney.

There is also always discussion on tax rates and whether or not raises would be beneficial.

Fryman personally said people, especially farmers, do not want taxes raised. “It’s not a good time. People are struggling,” he said.

He also had thoughts on school facilities and the ongoing discussions surrounding a “new” Clinton County High School.

Although Fryman believes keeping current facilities upgraded in a main priority, as well as an eventual new high school, he said, “you have to weigh the good with the bad. The timing (for a new high school) is not right at the current time.”

Fryman feels the current board and superintendent can work well together, saying “Everybody wants to do what’s best for the children. If we work as a team, we will be able to do so.”

Another major goal for Fryman is getting attendance back up, saying again a lot of children in the county are not coming to public school.

“We need to make it a better place, upgrade our facilities and have parents want to bring their children to school here,” he said, adding, as he went door to door campaigning, he learned of children going elsewhere to school.

“We need to get enrollment back up,” he said.

He also added he would like to see, in the future, improvements made to the baseball field and facilities.

Fryman thanked everyone for their support in the 2022 campaign and closed by saying, “Enough people are not putting their kids in (Clinton County) school(s), and I am going to do everything possible to make Clinton schools a place you would like to see your kids learn.”

New elected officials series concludes this week

For the past few months, since the conclusion of the November General Election, the Clinton County News has published a series of articles on the city’s and county’s new government officials who were seated in early January.

That series concludes with this issue, highlighting the sole new Clinton County Board of Education member, Jeremy Fryman, which can be found beginning on page 1.

During the period, the NEWS has interviewed two county officials who have retired from their long time professions, as well as highlighting the new officials who will be leading the city, county, and board of education over the next two or more years.

It is hoped that readers have learned more about our new leaders in government, who they are, what they stand for and what they wish to achieve for Albany and Clinton County.

The NEWS would also like to thank each and every newly elected official, as well as the retiring officials, for taking the time to tell their stories and let people know more about themselves.

For review, those interviewed included retired Sheriff Jeff Vincent and Coroner Steve Talbott. County-wide officials, Sheriff Ricky Marcum, Jailer Bruce Stearns, and Coroner Lonnie Scott. Albany Mayor Steve Lawson. Clinton County Fiscal Court Magistrates Tony Delk, Gary Tallent, and Jason Pitman. Clinton County Board of Education member Jeremy Fryman (all four year term members), and, Albany City Council members Randy Speck, Junior Gregory, Tim Norris, James Bray, and Renee York (two year terms).