Meet Hoover’s newest school board member: Kermit Kendrick

he Hoover City Council on Nov. 6 appointed Kermit Kendrick, an attorney with the Burr & Forman law firm, to replace Jill Ganus on the Hoover Board of Education.

Kendrick, 50, lives in the Willow Lake subdivision off South Shades Crest Road and has been a resident of Hoover for 16 years. His wife, Tanya Kendrick, is director of the Health Sciences Academy at Hoover High School.

He was chosen from among 11 applicants to fill the remaining 2½ years on Ganus’ term. Ganus resigned after the governor appointed her to fill a Jefferson County District Court judgeship.

Councilman Derrick Murphy, who is chairman of the council’s education committee, said this was a terrific group of applicants but Kendrick stood out in part because of his legal experience. He has been with Burr & Forman for 17 years and has experience in federal court.

Kendrick, a former All-American football player for the University of Alabama, obtained both his law degree and bachelor’s degree from Alabama.

He is a board member for The Foundry Rescue Mission and Recovery Center in Bessemer and Sunrise Rotary Club, an executive member and chairman-elect for The “A” Club Alumni Association and executive committee member for the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel.

The Hoover Sun had a chance to chat with Kendrick shortly after his appointment:

Q: Why did you decide to apply for the school board?

A: I read the Hoover Sun, and I saw an application there, and I decided to apply … almost on a whim.

My family has been involved in education for generations. My grandmother taught for 30 years. My mother taught for 40 years. Her sisters taught for years. My aunt on my father’s side taught for years. My father was a principal for years. Both my sisters are teachers. My family has been involved in education all my life. My boys are in college now. We’re empty nesters, and so I wanted to do something to serve the community where I live.

Q: In your interview with the city council, you said the biggest need in the school system now is to get out from under federal oversight regarding the desegregation court case. Why is that the biggest need?

A: We have a very talented superintendent. Although I haven’t met with her to talk extensively, from what I have read, she has growth plans. She wants to address career technical education. Everything that she wants to do that will, in her mind perhaps, provide growth for our school system — at this point, it has to go through [U.S. District] Judge [Madeline] Haikala. 

We ought to be able to have control over the way we grow our school system and the way that we handle education here in Hoover.

Q: What do you think Hoover needs to focus on the most to get out from under the federal supervision?

A: I have not been to a board meeting yet, so I am synthesizing things I have read. … The desegregation order and these “green factors” involved here about erasing any and all vestiges of racial discrimination in our schools. We don’t want white schools. We don’t want black schools. We just want schools. I think one of the things that needs to happen is the administrators, teachers, staff — we need to look like the students that we teach. 

We need to have more Hispanic and African-American teachers, more Asian teachers, more Indian teachers and administrators. Our school faculty and administrators should look like the students that we are teaching and preparing to go out into the world. That’s one aspect of it. Then again, I don’t know everything that we’ve done. I know there have been reams and reams of documents presented to the judge. There was a big rezoning issue. I think that’s before the judge. A lot of this — we’re waiting on her to rule. 

To me, this is a big deal in the schools because it hinders our future if everything that we want to do, we have to go to a third party — in this case a federal judge — to get approval.

Q: One of the other things you mentioned in your interview and in your application as being a major issue is overcrowding at Hoover High School. What do you think should be done about that?

A: Had we achieved unitary status now, I think there are a lot of options that could be on the table, including building a third high school in Hoover. I understand that there is a downside to that. [Superintendent] Dr. [Kathy] Murphy has worked really hard to balance the budget, and to build and populate a third high school may put us in a position where we don’t have a balanced budget anymore, but that would alleviate it. 

If we’re just talking ideas and a vision for discussion here, adding a third high school would alleviate crowding problems at Hoover High School. But there is overcrowding also in some of our elementary schools, too.

Q: Do you think Hoover needs a third high school?

A: If it can afford it, yes.

Q: How do you think it could be funded or should be funded?

A: The one thing that happens good here in Hoover is we have a great city council that makes sure the schools are well funded. I think the city council and Dr. Murphy — they do a good job with our budgets to make sure that we are funded. Maybe another bond issue would do it. I don’t know. We’d have to look at all the options.

Q: Do you believe the school system is getting enough funding currently?

A: It appears to be, but again, I have not dug into our budget to know. … There have been fewer dollars coming from the state and more coming from the city council, so we need to analyze whether it’s viable to go to the state and ask for more money. Every option should be on the table, but it appears right now that our schools are funded. 

We’re spending $13,000 per child. That’s among the best in the state of Alabama. Should the state give more than that? I would have to look at the budget and go through that with Dr. Murphy to be better able to answer that question.

Q: Are there any areas where you know you want to bring about change or increase an emphasis on something?

A: If I had my way, I would like to see career technical education happen in a major way in Hoover City Schools to give every child, regardless of their gifts, a chance to be successful in school and a chance to be successful when they leave our school system.

Q: What do you think about the current idea of using the Riverchase Middle School site as a career tech building?

A: Right now, I think it’s a good idea, but the devil is in the details, and because we are still under a desegregation order, all of that has to be approved by the judge. Everything from how you’re going to get the kids to populate that school, what’s going to be the mix of kids that populate that school, teachers that are going to teach — all of that has to be approved by Judge Haikala if that comes to pass. 

I think it’s a good idea. I’d like to see what Dr. Murphy has planned before I can just jump in there and say wholeheartedly this is a good idea, but I think it is a good idea that we start to address career technical education and celebrate the kids who have those gifts.

Q: What do you want parents and students and the residents in Hoover to know about you?

A: That I care about education, that I want their children to get the same high-quality education that I believe my sons received going through the Hoover school system.

Q: As you mentioned, you’re filling the last half of a five-year term. Two and a half years from now, do you see yourself applying to fill a full five-year term?

A: I don’t know right now. … After this term is over or as it gets closer to being over, my wife and I would have to sit down and discuss it and see if we want to continue in this role.