When I recently wrote about the Board of Education’s sudden introduction of steep participation fees for non-enrolled students, the underlying message was simple: we should always focus on what’s best for our kids. Policy should build bridges, invite participation, and celebrate the wins of every local student, regardless of where they learn.
Unfortunately, recent actions by Clay County leadership show a continuing shift away from that very idea, putting personal politics and grudges above the good of the community.
We saw this play out firsthand just a few days ago when Allen Tanner, former Clay County High School principal, and his co-host Dylan Vaughan announced they were abruptly removed from broadcasting CCHS sports on WVRC-FM 104.7.
For the past year, Tanner and Vaughan poured countless hours of volunteer effort into spotlighting local athletes across football, volleyball, cross country, basketball, wrestling, baseball, and softball. Their broadcasts were a labor of love that brought our entire community together, giving grandparents, working parents on night shifts, and out-of-town relatives a meaningful way to cheer on local kids.
The response on social media was immediate and hard to ignore: *Why silence two passionate community voices who gave our local athletes the spotlight, pride, and visibility they deserved?*
While official explanations are rarely offered in these situations, our community isn’t blind. Many see this decision as part of a troubling, broader pattern of retaliatory behavior from district leadership. We saw this same dynamic play out at the board level when Tanner was voted out of his position as principal. Despite passionate support from school staff and dedicated teachers like Amanda Shelton, who openly spoke at the podium in defense of his leadership, the board voted to remove him without publicly addressing the underlying tensions.
This is an educator whose dedication extended far beyond standard job duties, from personally tutoring sick students at home after long workdays to keeping talented teachers from leaving the education profession entirely. Our kids were the ones who ultimately lost out when Tanner was removed from our public schools.
Tanner was guided by his faith and a deep commitment to our community, but political drama has now followed him to the radio, leaving our youth caught in the middle once again.
When personal vendettas and institutional politics dictate who is allowed to celebrate our athletes, those in power have lost sight of their true purpose. Our schools do not exist to serve the egos of administrators or board members; they exist to support our kids.
Whether it is dropping unexpected, prohibitive fees on families days before sports sign-ups or quietly shutting down popular, student-centered voices on the radio, the result is always the same: our kids lose. Our athletes lose the platform they worked hard to earn. Our community loses two of its biggest cheerleaders. And parents are left asking why district leadership treats transparency and open communication as threats rather than priorities.
Clay County has always been about taking care of our own. We sit on the same bleachers, cheer for the same kids, and want what’s best for every child growing up in this county. Our school leadership ought to reflect that—plain, simple support for our kids, without all the extra drama.
It’s time to set personal issues aside, listen to the community, and put our local kids back where they belong—at the very top of the priority list.
Amber Ferrebee
