KANNAPOLIS — Kevin Clark said he’s running for one of two open seats on the Kannapolis City Schools’ Board of Education because he believes he can bring some fresh air to the system.

Clark, 40, is Kannapolis born and raised, and said that 10 years ago, he wouldn’t have thought about running.

“I never would have dreamed it, but as a parent you get more and more involved,” he said.

Clark and wife Lynn have two kids in Kannapolis City Schools, and he began attending school board meetings last year.

“I’m usually the only one sitting there, and that’s kind of disturbing to me,” he said.

Clark said he wants to decrease teacher turnover and increase transparency and communication between school administration and the Board of Education. Teachers who graduate from A.L. Brown often return to the system, he said, but quickly leave.

“They come in, do their student teaching, and move away,” he said.

The board also needs to look at long-range business planning, he said. You can’t simply hire a teacher to fill a position, you need to decide whether they’ll be a good fit for the system years down the road.

“You have to look beyond what’s happening today. What’s going to happen five, ten years down the road?” He said.

Clark said he actually was encouraged to run two years ago, the last time seats for Cabarrus County candidates were up, but he missed the cut-off date.

“I’m wanting to get involved, do more, I think we do need more parent involvement,” he said.

Clark currently works as a funeral director at Lady’s Funeral Home where he also serves as vice president and secretary. In his spare time, Clark builds sets for his daughter’s dance studio and is currently serving his second consecutive term as president of Trinity Lutheran Church in Landis. Clark also serves as the church’s finance chairman and has helped the church’s youth raise money for a mission trip to Costa Rica.

He hopes to provide kids in Kannapolis City Schools the tools they need to move forward.

“We’re trying to provide them opportunities to excel and just hope they take advantage of them,” he said.

Only residents living within the Kannapolis City Schools district may vote for board candidates. Voting for the Kannapolis Board of Education will be on March 15, in conjunction with the North Carolina primary. Newly elected members will be sworn in at the board’s April meeting.