Port Arthur ISD school board candidate Kenneth Lofton Sr. has volunteered much of his time working with the youth of Port Arthur and now he’s ready to move the district toward a better future.

Lofton, 35, is a parent with three children in the district, ages 5, 9 and 12-years-old. He is also actively involved in a number of youth sports groups — including coaching for Pop Warner Youth Football’s Port Arthur Cowboys and the Port Arthur Flyers Track Club and founding the Port Arthur Helping Educate Athletes Together Basketball organization. Lofton also helped restart Little League Baseball in the city, worked with PAISD and city of Port Arthur’s basketball league and is a founding member of Men In Sports Teaching, Educating and representing Southeast Texas Social and Civic Club.

One of the stipulations for Lofton’s youth programs is for the student to pass standardized tests and present a weekly grade report. Originally Lofton went to former superintendent, Willis Mackey, with the idea of a school/city basketball organization. Mackey, he said, turned him down but Superintendent Johnny Brown jumped on the bandwagon.

“Dr. Brown is doing a great job,” he said. “I’ve met him once when I went to the district to start an elementary basketball league and I also met Dr. (Morcese) Beasley. I didn’t ask for any funding from them. The program is successful with 400 to 500 kids participating.”

Lofton feels parental involvement is a big factor for the district and overall community.

“There are a lot of parents involved and men are involved back in their children’s lives,” he said.

He also feels children are a reflection of the city. When a student enters college or the workplace, Lofton wants the college or employer to look favorably about the city or district from which the student came.

Lofton is a 1990 graduate of Lincoln High School and a U.S. Army veteran. He attended Lamar University at Beaumont and Port Arthur.

His school involvement includes work at the Site Based Committee at Travis Elementary, parent involvement in PAISD and founder of the Dad’s Club at Travis Elementary.

He is married to Gina Duhon, a teacher in PAISD. They are members of Eastern Star Baptist Church.