Interview with Ellis Rasner & Fred W. Gabbard

Partial Transcript: I'd like to begin the interview by asking you if you wouldn't mind relating a little bit of your own personal history and background.

Segment Synopsis: Rasner and Gabbard discusses their families, educations, and careers.

Keywords: Eastern Kentucky University

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: Would you characterize the boards as being more your boards?

Segment Synopsis: Rasner and Gabbard discusses school boards that they have worked with and heard of. They both say that they have had good relationships with their school boards.

Keywords: Owsley County schools

Subjects: School board-superintendent relationships School boards School boards--Elections

Partial Transcript: What were some of the main problems throughout your tenure?

Segment Synopsis: Rasner and Gabbard discusses major issues they have faced. They both point to transportation as being the biggest issue.

Keywords: ADA; Owsley County schools

Subjects: Coal mines and mining Road building Roads School budgets School buildings Student transportation Teachers--Training of

Partial Transcript: How much of an issue was consolidation here in this county?

Segment Synopsis: Gabbard says that when schools were integrated and consolidated, minorities moved to Madison County so that they would not have to go to white schools.

Keywords: Madision County; Owsley County schools

Subjects: School integration

Partial Transcript: Do the citizens like to have a winning sports team?

Segment Synopsis: Rasner says that athletics are important but in moderation. He also talks about how vocational students are sent to a regional school.

Keywords: Owsley County schools

Subjects: School sports Vocational school

Partial Transcript: What are some of the positive and some of the negative aspects to being superintendent?

Segment Synopsis: Both Rasner and Gabbard say that the hardest parts of the job are finances and deciding about snow days.

Keywords: Owsley County schools; Snow days

Subjects: School budgets School taxes Student transportation

Partial Transcript: Who else are some of the leading decision makers in Owsley County?

Segment Synopsis: Gabbard and Rasner discusses influential people in the county. Gabbard says that many of them were unqualified.

Keywords: County Judge; Judicial referendum; Owsley County

Subjects: County government