REMEMBERING KELLY BLANTON

REMEMBERING KELLY BLANTON

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 7 (Tuesday, January 14, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 14, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E29-E30] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] REMEMBERING KELLY BLANTON ______ HON. VINCE FONG of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, January 14, 2025 Mr. FONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and enduring legacy of Dr. Kelly Blanton, an educational visionary who dedicated his career to improving the education of his students and peers. Born on January 12, 1937, near Savoy, Texas, Dr. Blanton moved west during the dust bowl and was raised in Kern County. Through the Great Depression and World War II, Dr. Blanton lived alongside his six siblings and parents at farm labor camps. While residing at Wasco Labor Camp, they supported the family by picking cotton. Discovering his early passion for education, Dr. Blanton would successfully pursue degrees from Bakersfield College, San Francisco State University, California State University, Fresno, and ultimately a Doctorate from the University of Southern California. With humble beginnings, Dr. Blanton would commit to ensuring that education remained a transformative force in the lives of young people. Dr. Blanton's career in education began in [[Page E30]] 1959 as a teacher at Palm Avenue School in Wasco, California. He would achieve his first leadership role as Maple Elementary School District's Superintendent and later join the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office in 1971. As the 18th Superintendent of Schools for Kern County from 1986 to 1999, Dr. Blanton's leadership made our community's schools stronger, safer, and more modern. During his life, Dr. Blanton introduced educational policies and programs that continue to benefit children and families in Kern County and across California. He was instrumental in creating alternative education programs which have achieved reduced dropout rates and continue to provide countless students with a second chance to succeed. Dr. Blanton also championed new programs to accommodate physically disabled students and provide internet connectivity to the many rural districts in Kern County. A leader who believed in giving his students and teachers every resource they would need to succeed, it is nearly impossible to find a school in Kern County that does not owe Dr. Blanton a great debt of gratitude. One of his most enduring contributions was the development of the Self-Insured Schools of California, which provides comprehensive insurance policies to schools across California and now the largest public school health pool in the United States. His foresight in establishing this initiative continues to provide affordable and comprehensive healthcare for thousands of educators and their families. He also helped revitalize the heart of the Kern community by both relocating the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office to downtown Bakersfield and also establishing Downtown Elementary School to serve the children of Bakersfield's downtown workers. Dr. Blanton is preceded in death by his wife Yvonne, whom he was married to for sixty-four years and is survived by his daughter Shelley, son Timothy, and six grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me as I express our gratitude to Dr. Kelly Blanton for his lasting contributions to our community and state. His legacy will be upheld through the lives of the children he inspired, the educators he empowered, and the communities he enriched. ____________________