Yancey County Democrats, Candidates 2024

As of May 20, 2025, Lavenia Peterson Burnette did not have a website or any information online.

School Facilities & Resources

Facebook

Supports equitable resource distribution for all schools.

- Supports equitable resource distribution for all schools.

Access to Education

Teachers

School Curriculum

Student Wellbeing

Lavenia Peterson Burnette

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

As of May 20, 2025, Cody Whitson did not have a website or any information online.

Cody Whitson

LinkedIn

As of May 20, 2025, Edwin Fortner did not have a website or any information online.

Edwin Fortner

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

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 May 20, 2025, 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

As of May 20, 2025, 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. 