Meet Kathy Larson, Candidate for Wayne County, NC Board of Education

Kathy Larson is running for an at-large seat on the Wayne County Board of Education in North Carolina. Her candidacy is rooted in her desire to address the unique challenges faced by the rural North Carolina county, including a high poverty rate, numerous Title I schools, and a growing immigrant population. 

As a GoodParty.org Certified candidate, Kathy Larson is ready to offer independent, people-powered, and anti-corruption representation for Wayne County. Larson shared with GoodParty.org why she believes she is the best candidate to represent the county’s students and parents.

From PTA President to School Board Candidate

Larson’s campaign platform emphasizes safety, parent representation, and improving the overall quality of education in Wayne County. Her journey toward this goal began in her own children's school, Spring Creek Elementary, where she took on a leadership role during a challenging time. 

Larson has served as PTA president at Spring Creek Elementary for several years, including during the Covid-19 pandemic and the reopening of schools post-Covid. This role allowed her to identify critical safety issues in the school. 

One of the most pressing of these issues was the dangerous car rider line, where the drop-off and pick-up of students occurred dangerously close to a major highway.

“There were a lot of car accidents. It was very hard to see coming in and out, turning left or right, and there were a lot of cars stuck on the highway,” Larson said. “We actually had several teachers hit by cars, like physically standing out there, their bodies being hit. It was just a dangerous situation that parents were concerned about.”

Upon inquiring about solutions to this problem, Larson and the other PTA members learned that the school board had created a plan to move the car rider line to a safer location. However, little progress had been made toward implementing the plan.

“We reached out to the school board and said, ‘What's the story on this plan? How can we move it along? Things are pretty dangerous.’ We were told that they didn't think anything would really happen until we had a fatality,” Larson said.

In response, Larson and her fellow PTA members created a petition and began rallying support throughout Wayne County. After speaking with school board members, county commissioners, and other local leaders, Larson wondered if better school board representation could prevent similar challenges in the future.

“The whole time of that process, I kept thinking, ‘You know what? If we had more parents on the school board, I don't think these things would be so hard. If we had a mom on our school board who has kids in the school, I don't think this would be such an issue,’” Larson said.

After much effort, the elementary school’s car rider line was relocated, creating a safer environment for students and teachers.

The experience of advocating for change led Larson to consider running for office.

“We don't have a lot of parent representation on our school board, and I felt really led to try to do something about that,” Larson said. “I've been very active in our community with children, with Cub Scouts and with rec, sports leagues, and lots of different things. The more and more that I've been involved, the more I felt like we really need the voice of a concerned parent on the school board to try to make some changes. My goal is to be a voice for parents, an advocate for students, and to give teachers support.”

A Voice for Every Student in Wayne County, North Carolina

For Larson, running for the Wayne County Board of Education is not about politics — it's about people. She is intentionally running as an unaffiliated candidate, distancing herself from partisan politics to focus on what matters most: the well-being of students and the success of the county’s education system.

“It's really a team of moms that are behind me. For us, it is not political. It is personal. We are doing this because our kids are in the system, we want it to be better, and we want to do what we can to help,” Larson said.

As an unaffiliated candidate, Larson has a unique opportunity to bridge divides within the school board.

“I'm very passionate about being unaffiliated, intentionally so, because I don't think that either side has it all figured out,” she said. “I don't agree 100% with every single thing on either side. I particularly am disturbed and saddened by the increasing division in our country between the two parties, the anger, vitriol, and rudeness. The way that people talk to each other on the two different sides is very concerning to me, especially as a parent, as a mom.”

Instead of dwelling on partisan divisions, Larson hopes to fulfill the true job description of a school board member: to serve all students in the school district.

“It is a non-partisan position for a reason, because we should all be binding together, regardless of our political affiliations, to serve the students, the teachers, the parents, and everybody involved in the system,” Larson said.

Larson’s campaign emphasizes inclusivity, and she is determined to ensure that every child in the county, regardless of background or circumstance, receives the support and resources they need to succeed.

“I don't want to just advocate for my area and my schools and my kids. I want to advocate for all of them, be a voice for all the parents and all the kids, and truly, truly bring people together, because we can do so much more together than we can do apart,” Larson said. “This division in our country and in our area, all it does is create more drama. Yelling at each other doesn't do anything. We don't accomplish anything that way. If we could all figure out a way to work together, we could get so much more done and move forward.”

Heading Toward Election Day on November 5, 2024

Kathy Larson will appear on the ballot for Wayne County Board of Education on November 5, 2024. She hopes to make a positive, lasting impact on the North Carolina county’s education system. By giving parents a stronger voice and advocating for all students, she hopes to bring much-needed change that will benefit all students and create a safer, more supportive learning environment.

Want to learn more about Larson’s campaign for school board? Visit her campaign website for the latest news and to find ways to support Larson’s candidacy.

Want to find more spotlights on GoodParty.org Certified candidates running for office across the country? Explore our full collection of spotlights here.