A meeting of the Russell County, Kentucky, Board of Education on July 20, 2026. Board Chair Dick Kazsuk presiding. Superintendent – Michael Ford.

RCBOE Approves Athletic Event Managers, Moves Forward on Facilities Plan, and Receives $107,000 Scoreboard Donation

Quick Takeaway

  • Athletic Supervision Boost: The Board approved three new athletic event manager positions with $3,000 annual stipends to oversee student safety and logistics during busy sports seasons.
  • Major Anonymous Gift: An anonymous local donor has pledged $107,000 to replace the high school’s 21-year-old gym scoreboards and shot clocks with state-of-the-art digital systems.
  • Facilities Priorities: The District Facilities Plan (DFP) hearing officer report was approved, keeping a new middle school as the district’s top priority while highlighting strong preschool enrollment under a new four-day schedule.
  • Summer Feeding Success: The USDA Sun Meals program successfully distributed 95,494 meals to Russell County children over the summer, averaging 1,137 kids per week.

RUSSELL COUNTY, KY — During its July 20, 2026 meeting, the Russell County Board of Education (RCBOE) approved several key measures to support students, staff, and families ahead of the upcoming 2026–2027 school year.

A major highlight came during athletic updates, when staff member Mr. Carpenter revealed an anonymous local donation of $107,000. The funding will fully upgrade Russell County High School’s gym scoreboards and shot clocks with state-of-the-art digital displays capable of customized graphics for basketball, volleyball, wrestling, and graduations. RCHS’s existing score tables will be repurposed and gifted to the middle school to replace aging equipment.

To manage growing athletic operations, the Board approved creating three athletic event manager positions. Carrying an annual stipend of $3,000 each ($9,000 total investment), these positions require at least three years of coaching or student supervision experience to oversee logistics, safety, and security during overlapping events.

The Board also formally accepted the District Facilities Plan hearing officer report following a public hearing on July 16. Superintendent Ford confirmed that a new middle school remains the district’s top construction priority, while the early childhood center was added to the plan for the first time. Board members also noted strong early childhood participation, with preschool numbers reaching some of their highest levels in years following the transition to a four-day weekly schedule.

In other action, Superintendent Ford shared an update on behalf of Food Service Director Miss Holt, celebrating the USDA Sun Meals program’s distribution of over 95,000 summer meals. Members also approved a grant-funded instructional assistant position for Salem Elementary’s Read to Achieve program, designated surplus furniture for bid, authorized veteran-reserved parking signs at district facilities, and approved a formal liability waiver procedure allowing parent-guardians to sign students out directly from away extracurricular events.