Christian County School Board members heard the first reading of the 2019-2020 school year calendar, received an update on the Gateway Academy/Breathitt Center renovations, and learned that both high schools will implement paperless report cards next semester during Thursday evenings meeting.
Board members were shown what next school years calendar will look like. Director of Pupil Personnel Melanie Barrett says the calendar meets all KRS statues and Senate Bill 50 guidelines.
Barrett adds the calendar will have teachers returning back to the classroom on August 6, 2019, with students returning the following day. Preschool students would start school on Monday, August 26. Fall break would be October 7 through 11, this follows along with other nearby school districts. Christmas break would be December 23 with students returning to class on Monday, January 6, 2020. Spring break would fall on April 6 through 10 and the tentative last day of school for students would be Wednesday, May 20. Board members unanimously approved the first reading of the calendar.
In other business, Sherman Carter Barnhart Architect’s Andrew Owens provided an update on the progress of the Gateway Academy/Breathitt Center project. Owens says the Kentucky Department of Education recently approved the contracts for the project to move forward.
Board members also approved payments of over $188,000 to Sherman Carter Barnhart for services in relation to the project.
Hopkinsville High School Principal Dr. John Gunn and Christian County High School Principal Chris Bentzel told board members they will implement paperless report cards options in both schools next semester. Dr. Gunn says parents will be made aware of the change through various mediums and that school officials will be available to walk parents through how to retrieve them. Dr. Gunn adds paper copies can be requested by parents, but by using paperless options the schools will save money and time spent on physically sending out thousands of report cards.
Board members heard a long-range planning report from Superintendent Mary Ann Gemmill. Gemmill discussed how both high schools need to be replaced, but stated Hopkinsville High School is in greater need of a new academic building. A complete discussion on the long-range plan will be held during a public forum in partnership with the Christian County League of Women Voters on Tuesday evening, February 12, 2019.
In other discussions, members learned the school district has seen improvements in its strategic plan and learned the results of the fall scorecards and survey results. Board members also approved change orders for partial reroofing projects at Indian Hills Elementary and Hopkinsville High School which will save the district over $8,500.
