School Board Election

There are four candidates running for the 2026 Anchorage Public School Board election.  If you have questions for the candidates, please submit them on this form.  

Phillip Kash

Phillip served on the Anchorage Board of Education from 2013-2020 and was chair from 2017-2020. In 2019 he was awarded Outstanding School Board Member in the state by the Kentucky School Boards Association. Phillip’s experience and historical perspective is a particular asset given turnover in administrative leadership and loss of institutional knowledge in the district over the past few years.

Phillip has lived in Anchorage for almost 30 years with his wife, Andrea. Their three children, Andew, Jackson, and Aidan, all attended Anchorage Public School K-8, with the youngest graduating in 2018.

Phillip has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago and has been a chemistry professor at the University of British Columbia and the University of Kentucky.

Phillip is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the HI-FLOAT Company, a third-generation family-owned chemical manufacturing company based in Louisville with distribution in countries throughout the world. Phillip has professional experience with financial and long-term strategic planning and with board governance.

Phillip enjoys traveling with his family for work and pleasure, cooking, local trivia nights, theater, and college basketball. Phillip and Andrea also enjoyed coaching academic teams at Anchorage Public School from 2021-2025.

R. Collie King III

 

R. Collie King, III, known to many as Collie, has called Anchorage home for most of his life. He moved to Anchorage with his parents, Gayle and R.C. King, in 1970 and grew up here with his older sister, Courtney, and younger brother, Hunter. Collie attended Anchorage Public School from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Many longtime Anchorage residents may remember Gayle and R.C. King from their years living and working in the community, where they owned businesses in downtown Anchorage and were deeply involved in school and community life.

After graduating from Ballard High School, Collie attended Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. Following college and several years in Florida, he returned to Louisville and, in 1998, purchased the Anchorage home where he still lives today. He and his wife, Shana, are now raising their family in the same community and school system that meant so much to him growing up. His older son, Reece, attended Anchorage Public School, and his twins, Preston and Ellie-Kate, recently began Kindergarten there.

Professionally, Collie has spent more than three decades building and leading businesses in technology, software, and motorsports. He founded and later sold a telecommunications company, an internet service provider, and a software company, and now serves as CEO of Flagtronics, Inc. He has also served in nonprofit and education-related leadership roles, including the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Board of Directors and the Advisory Council for the University of Louisville College of Business entrepreneurial program.

Collie is seeking to serve because he believes Anchorage offers something rare: a close-knit community, centered around an exceptional K-8 public school. He does not believe the school is broken. Instead, he believes it has a strong foundation and an opportunity to become even better by supporting excellent teachers and staff, measuring progress against strategic goals, and helping the Board focus on the areas that matter most for students and families.

He hopes to bring serious commitment, broad board experience, and a lifelong appreciation for Anchorage to help preserve what makes the school special while preparing it for the future.

Andrew O'Brien

 

I am a proud Anchorage School alumnus, and today all three of my children attend Anchorage. My connection to this school and community runs deep. Anchorage gave me a strong foundation and a meaningful head start in life, and I am grateful for the opportunity to give back and help ensure that this exceptional school continues to thrive for generations to come.

As a current School Board Member, I have seen firsthand that a great school depends on engaged parents, an active community, and a shared commitment to high standards. I am dedicated to helping cultivate an unmatched educational environment that is welcoming, engaging, and fun while also challenging every student to realize their full potential. We owe it to our children to provide an excellent education that develops confident, capable students of character who will remain forever Anchored in Excellence!

Anchorage School is more than a school; it is the heartbeat of our community. Its close-knit spirit, distinctive character, and tradition of excellence are sources of pride for parents, friends, and neighbors alike. I will work to protect that legacy while ensuring that every student feels valued, supported, and inspired, leaves proud to be an Anchor, and is prepared to succeed far beyond our doors.

I am confident my lifelong Anchorage perspective, experience as a current Board Member, and professional background enable me to bring a thoughtful and practical voice to the Board. I would be honored to earn your vote and to continue serving our children, our families, and this extraordinary community.

If you see me around town, please say hello.

Jessie Ross

 

I am running for school board because service to our community and involvement in our school are important to me. I believe one of the things that makes Anchorage Public School so successful is the strong community that supports it. Being a good member of that community means each of us has a role to play, and I am excited for the opportunity to serve the Anchorage Independent School District in a greater capacity.

My commitment to being involved in our school community led me to serve on the School Organization Committee, which reports to School Council. I have also enjoyed teaching Junior Achievement to my children’s classes and volunteering to lead ticketing for Christmas in Anchorage. Through these experiences I’ve seen firsthand how important collaboration is to the success of our school and I have gained a better appreciation for all the time and talent it takes to make Anchorage Public School a special place.

I am a Louisville native and have lived in Anchorage with my husband, Sam, and our three children, Jack (3rd grade), Lucy (2nd grade), and Luke (3 years old), since 2019. I graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in 2003, then attended the University of Kentucky, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in finance in 2006. I earned both a law degree and an MBA from the University of Louisville in 2010. Since then, I have owned and operated Taylor Court Reporting.

My background as a lawyer, business owner, and, most importantly, a mom will allow me to bring a thoughtful and practical perspective to the school board. As a mom, I want Anchorage to be a school where every child has the opportunity to succeed. My priorities as a board member will be ensuring that Anchorage has the resources needed to maintain the high level of academic excellence for which it is known, while also making sure that each student’s unique needs are recognized, supported, and nurtured.

I would be honored to serve the Anchorage community and help ensure that Anchorage Public School continues to be a place where students, teachers, and families can thrive.