By SUSAN TEBBEN
GLASGOW — Barren County Schools will be adding classrooms at two schools including at one that just opened this year.
In the administrators’ reports, Jim Ivey of RBS Designs presented the building and grounds permits that will be used to improve a number of schools in the district. These projects include adding pavement to the Red Cross Elementary parking lot to help traffic problems, replace a sewage treatment plant and construct a 2,600 square foot storage facility at Hillcrest, restrooms for the ballfields at Eastern Elementary and four new classrooms at North Jackson.
“It’s always good when the schools have to expand because they’re full of students,” Ivey said.
The district is working on a 15,000 square foot athletic field house with dressing rooms and classrooms for Barren County High School, along with renovation of the football field, addition of backstops and a greenhouse. The high school will also get to have two other classrooms renovated in the school, added auditorium seating, upgrades of the district technology, renovation to the media center and the teachers’ work room and a renovation and expansion of the band room. Other repairs will be made to the main entrance doors, the retaining wall, partial replacement of ceiling tiles throughout the school, renovation of two restrooms in the gym and one in the boys baseball facility. A partial roof replacement is also on the list of projects. There are also certain things, like floor repairs, that can’t be done until school is out of session.
For North Jackson, facilities director Steve Russell reported that a bid was accepted for the fencing around the ball fields. They accepted the low bid from Bradshaw Fencing of $12,950.
“The school has a lot of needs and it’s time to start addressing them, and fine-tuning the areas that are in need of repair,” Superintendent Jerry Ralston said. “We have to jump-start this so it can come to a conclusion.”
The board agreed and unanimously voted to approve the BGs, and approval of an architect and construction manager for the high school projects should come in the next few days, according to Ralston. The impact of the renovations should start to appear by some time in the next school year, he said.
In other news for the high school, Principal Keith Hale explained a 21st century grant that BCHS has just been received. It will provide $150,000 per year for three years, with the possibility for a two year extension. This grant will help them improve their physical wellness programs and college preparation, but the main aim for the school is to hire a 21st century guidance counselor, to advise approximately the top 80 students in the school. Hale said they plan to unveil the college magnate program to parents next week.
“It is unheard of to have a magnate school in Kentucky, and the reputation of the students and the magnate school builds as they go to college,” Hale said.
The 21st century counselor will work with the elite group of students daily, targeting scholarships, college applications and other things to get students on track to begin college. This leaves more room for the other guidance counselors to focus on the other students below the top 80, and to allow the students with the highest grades to reap the benefits of their hard work, he said.
“We haven’t even really introduced it yet, but the students are ecstatic to be in an elite group, and the parents are excited as well,” Hale said.
Invitations for the group will go out by next Wednesday.
John Smith, head of Finance and Business, said that the district’s revenue was about the same as in 2009, despite adjustments to the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, something that also took the textbook funding from $145,000 to $16,000, down to the current $4,000. Smith said that seeking other streams of revenue would help the state raise the budgets that are needed for textbooks and other things.
• The board also approved the spring fundraisers for 2009-2010 at Thursday’s meeting.
• Because the Barren County Board of education reclaimed two instructional days previously this year, the Barren County schools will not have to spend spring break in school.
Bo Matthews, director of pupil personnel reported at Thursday evening’s board meeting that of the eight snow days the schools were allotted, they only used six, days they will add to the end of the school year. Barring any other closings, Matthews said, the last day for students would be Wednesday, June 2nd. Teachers’ last day would be June 3rd.
• Barren County High School student Edelin Silab received the award for Student of the Month. She is currently holding a 4.0 grade point average while taking all advanced placement classes, and has been accepted into the J.B. Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville. She was honored along with Beverly Marable of Eastern Elementary, the Classified Employee of the Month and Pam Florence, also of Eastern, the Certified Employee of the Month.
