As of June 29, 2024, Edwin Fortner did not have a website and did not complete our questionnaire.

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Edwin Fortner is currently serving on the Yancey County Board of Education. He was first elected in 2016 and is serving his second term. 

As of June 14, 2024, Edwin Fortner did not have a website or any information online.

School Facilities & Resources

Access to Education

Teachers

School Curriculum

Student Wellbeing

Edwin Fortner

Cody is from Burnsville and attended Mountain Heritage High School. He still lives in Burnsville today with his wife, Lindsey, and their 2 daughters. 

NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS - YANCEY

Cody Whitson currently serves as a Yancey County Board of Education Member. He was elected to this position in 2020 and is serving his first term.  

As of June 14, 2024, Cody Whitson did not have a website or any information online.

Cody Whitson

John and his wife, Melanie, have 2 children. He served as a sponsor for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at Mountain Heritage.

John has spent over 40 years in education, primarily in Yancey County, where he taught high-school history and social studies at Mountain Heritage High School for 24 years and sixth-grade social studies at Cane River Middle School for 8 years. He also served as a substitute teacher for 15 years after retiring from full-time teaching. In addition to his teaching career, Stallings has experience coaching football and softball at both Mountain Heritage High School and Cane River Middle School. Furthermore, he has been involved in broadcasting play-by-play for Mountain Heritage football games on WKYK radio.

John Stallings served one term as a Yancey County Commissioner from 2016 to 2018. He chose not to seek an additional term. 

Candidate website

Supports a Budget Amendment and grant funding to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students.

Supports a budget amendment and grant funding to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students.

- Supports a budget amendment and grant funding to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students.

Supports providing resources and pathways for all students in Yancey County to develop and succeed.

Supports providing "resources and pathways for all students in Yancey County to develop and succeed."

- Supports providing "resources and pathways for all students in Yancey County to develop and succeed."

The candidate's website says, "We will work to restore all Teacher Assistants from 37.5 hours/week to 40 hours a week."

Plans to work to restore all teacher assistants from 37.5 hours/week to 40 hours a week."

The candidate's website says, "We will promote a working environment in which administrators, teachers and staff can speak openly about educational and curricular ideas/concerns without fear of retaliation."

Said, "We will promote a working environment in which administrators, teachers and staff can speak openly about educational and curricular ideas/concerns without fear of retaliation."

The candidate's website says, "We will encourage a culture of cooperation, respect, delegation of responsibility (pursuant to position) and accountability among our professional educators and staff."

Said, "We will encourage a culture of cooperation, respect, delegation of responsibility (pursuant to position) and accountability among our professional educators and staff."

- Plans to work to restore all teacher assistants from 37.5 hours/week to 40 hours a week."
- Said, "We will promote a working environment in which administrators, teachers and staff can speak openly about educational and curricular ideas/concerns without fear of retaliation."
- Said, "We will encourage a culture of cooperation, respect, delegation of responsibility (pursuant to position) and accountability among our professional educators and staff."

Plans to reinstate the Drafting and Engineering Design Program at Mountain Heritage High School to prepare a qualified workforce.

- Plans to reinstate the Drafting and Engineering Design Program at Mountain Heritage High School to prepare a qualified workforce.

Plans to petition the Department of Transportation to address unsafe conditions at Middle Schools during drop-off and pick-up.

Plans to petition the Department of Transportation to address unsafe conditions at middle schools during drop-off and pick-up.

- Plans to petition the Department of Transportation to address unsafe conditions at middle schools during drop-off and pick-up.

John Stallings

Yancey County Democrats, Local Offices

Kim is from Yancey County. She holds an associates degree in civil engineering technology from Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College and a bachelor's degree in industrial arts and drafting concentration from Appalachian State University. She currently lives in Micaville with her husband, Darrin and their 2 children. She is a pianist and sunday school teacher at a local Baptist church. 

Kim works as a drafting teacher. previously worked as a teacher. She previously served as a teacher at Yancey County Schools. 

Kim W. Higgins' campaign for Yancey County Board of Education Member is her first run for public office. 

Said "Yancey County Schools and...County Commissioners failed the students of Yancey County in last year's budget requests... Mitchell County received $54.3 million. $14.3 million was earmarked for Mitchell High athletic facilities. Yancey County received $4M...What was awarded in the budget for Yancey County Schools? ZERO DOLLARS."

Opposes Yancey County students not being provided free breakfast and lunch, saying they "were the only students in Western NC that were not provided free breakfast and lunch."

Promises to make efforts for students to have food security.

- Said "Yancey County Schools and...County Commissioners failed the students of Yancey County in last year's budget requests... Mitchell County received $54.3 million. $14.3 million was earmarked for Mitchell High athletic facilities. Yancey County received $4M...What was awarded in the budget for Yancey County Schools? ZERO DOLLARS."
- Opposes Yancey County students not being provided free breakfast and lunch, saying they "were the only students in Western NC that were not provided free breakfast and lunch."
- Promises to make efforts for students to have food security.

Said she believes in a "fair and valuable education for all students regardless of their race, religion, sex, or demographic background, so I will advocate for all students."

Promises to work with local and school leaders, and members of the community to ensure transparency and make efforts to "move the Board of Education in Yancey County away from the partisan politics and biased decisions that have hurt our community and negatively affected generations to come. "

- Said she believes in a "fair and valuable education for all students regardless of their race, religion, sex, or demographic background, so I will advocate for all students."
- Promises to work with local and school leaders, and members of the community to ensure transparency and make efforts to "move the Board of Education in Yancey County away from the partisan politics and biased decisions that have hurt our community and negatively affected generations to come. "

As of June 14, 2024, Kim W. Higgins did not have a website or any information online.

Believes the present state of affairs contributes to "students’ needs...not being met, and mental health...declining with each new year."

- Believes the present state of affairs contributes to "students’ needs...not being met, and mental health...declining with each new year."

Kim W. Higgins

Yancey County Democrats, Candidates 2024

Lavenia was born and raised in Yancey County. She graduated from Mountain Heritage High School and has a bachelor's degree in education from Mars Hill College. Lavenia and her husband Kimmy Burnette have 3 adult children. 

Lavenia is currently retired. Prior, she taught for about 30 years in the Yancey County School System. After retirement, she continued to teach part time at Genesis Academy in Yancey County for 4 years.  

Lavenia Burnette's campaign for Yancey County's Board of Education is her run for public office. 

As of June 14, 2024, Lavenia Peterson Burnette did not have a website or any information online.

Supports equitable resource distribution for all schools.

- Supports equitable resource distribution for all schools.

Lavenia Peterson Burnette

As of June 29, 2024, Will Hensley did not have a website and did not complete our questionnaire.

Will Hensley is currently serving on the Yancey County Board of Education. He was elected in 2020 and is serving his first term. 

As of June 14, 2024, Will Hensley did not have a website or any information online.

Will Hensley

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. They create policies that establish standards, accountability and evaluation of essential operations of the school system.
- The Board of Education member hires a superintendent and can remove them when necessary. The superintendent assists the Board of Education in implementing the board’s policies. 
- The Board of Education is charged with deciding the school budget. This means they decide how to allocate money between different services, such as teacher pay, repairing school facilities, or access to technology.
- Board of Education members are elected every four years. 