Amanda McElfresh

amcelfresh@theadvertiser.com

Lafayette businessman Erick Knezek officially announced his candidacy for the Lafayette Parish School Board on Thursday.

Knezek will run for the District 8 seat currently held by Hunter Beasley.

"Our current school board is totally dysfunctional," Knezek said in an announcement near Broadmoor Elementary School. "Students and teachers are an afterthought to personal, political motives and self-serving decisions made by a majority of our current board members. Our school board lacks leadership, and despite that lack of leadership, their decisions have the potential to affect our community and be the biggest asset, or our most costly liability."

Knezek is the CEO of Truston Technologies Inc. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He and his wife have two children.

Knezek graduated from Lafayette High School and also attended Broadmoor Elementary, Edgar Martin Middle, Ridge Elementary, Prairie Elementary and Judice Middle.

"Our Lafayette Parish School System is the foundation of our community. It is the foundation for the future of our children," Knezek said. "It is the basis for our families, all the way through, up to, our workforce, and I am for a strong foundation. A school board member should be focused on one goal, one simple goal, and that is to make decisions that enhance the education of our students, and empower and equip our teachers to succeed in the classroom."

The school board elections will take place in November.