Despite redistricting stand-still school board meeting still productive
Published 9:33 am Wednesday, March 29, 2017
- Photo by Tosha Baker
The Jessamine County School Board work session proved to be the calm before the storm at Monday night’s meeting.
Many visitors were introduced at the meeting as part of the International Alliance for Invitational Education — a not-for-profit group of educators and allied professionals throughout the world dedicated to the development of positive school, work and home environments. The 19 global exchange students from Hong Kong are living and learning with students from Wilmore Elementary, West High and East High. This is the fifth year Jessamine County Schools have participated in an exchange program. For the first time, the school welcomed exchange students at the high school level. Four teachers from Changchun China will be welcomed on Monday. They will stay in the county for a month visiting schools and learning about the Jessamine County School System.
“I’m really, really proud,” said Superintendent Kathy Fields said at the meeting. “It’s going to be a great opportunity.”
Connor Hadley, Rowen Dean and Zaccheus Allen From West came to the meeting to show off their new band uniforms. East and West both received new uniforms, which cost around $89,995 this year.
The band approached the board last year to request the new uniforms. A funding plan was approved for the two schools after the board saw the poor condition the old ones were in. The band uniforms are now to be replaced every eight years. The combined high school bands are to pay $2,500 to $4,500 back to general funds on an annual basis.
The board also heard updates on Nicholasville Elementary.
The lowest bid from Kentucky One Medical Group in the amount $32,942 was approved. The medical group will provide pre-employment screenings, physical exams, and employee drug screenings.
The board approved the first reading of a revision to policy 09.11 which deals with school attendance areas.
The revision would eliminate the child care request to change attendance areas. For more information about this item, check out the Jessamine Journal’s article titled “Tied vote stalls proposed redistricting plan for JCS” published on March 23, 2017.
An East and West side community member will be added to the 15 member Jessamine County Athletic Advisory Council. The member will be appointed by the superintendent and they would serve for two years.
The Methodist Home of Kentucky has moved from Woodford County to 35 acres on Ashgrove Road in Northern Jessamine County. The contract recognizes Jessamine County Schools as the home’s educational provider, and they agreed to provide therapeutic services to up to eight Jessamine County students, who will be approved by the superintendent or a designee. The new campus will feature state-of-the-art residential facilities and the opportunities to collaborate with one the best alternative education systems in the state.
Money from The Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK), Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children (KECSAC) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will be used to fund the program. The facility is expected to be up and running in July of this year.
After the almost three-hour long meeting, the board went into executive session to began the long process of replacing Fields by hiring a new superintendent.
The next steps could include hiring a firm to help conduct the search.
