FISCAL COURT GIVES $50K TO SCHOOL SYSTEM FROM OPIOID FUNDS

Lawrence County Board of Education

Regular Meeting

August 19, 2024

LCHS at 6:00 PM

(Editor’s note: The writer of this article says she “forgot” to send this information to thelevisalazer.com nearly a month ago.)

The Lawrence County Board of Education held its regular meeting at Lawrence County High School in the library on August 19, 2024, at 6:00 PM. Board members Jim See (Chairman), Maddlene Roberts (Vice-Chair), Barbara Robinson, Garnett Skaggs, and Susie Rice were all present in person.

Mr. See called to order the meeting. The board approved the agenda.

In students and staff presentations and recognitions:

• Mrs. Webb, LC Superintendent, read the obituary for Mr. Charles McCoy, who served as the principal at LEES from 1995-2001.  Mrs. Colvin and Mr. Maynard discussed their memories of Mr. McCoy.  They both remembered being hired into the school system by him and that he was very supportive of his staff.   Mrs. Webb also remembered a Henderson County student, Lucy, who passed away unexpectedly.  A moment of silence was held in remembrance of these individuals.
• LC Schools will begin presentations in October.  The schedule is

            as follows.

In communications, Mrs. Webb gave the Superintendent’s update.

• Professional Development: The New Teacher Academy was held, along with the

District Professional Learning on August 6^th, and the Lawrence County PLC 5.0 held on Friday, August 9^th.

• LC Schools held their Welcome Back Breakfast on August 7^th.  They are grateful to our Community Partner, Pathways, who graciously sponsored the breakfast for all district employees.
• LC Schools returned to school on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.
• LC Schools enrollment numbers are not entirely tabulated for release.  However,

it appears the numbers are consistent with last year’s enrollment.

• Fall student activities are underway!  There have been two LCHS football scrimmages, boys’ and girls’ soccer and volleyball games have started, and the EKEBC girls’ basketball games are underway, along with LMS fall sports.  Academic team sign-ups have begun.
• Upcoming events include the LC Fair Youth Livestock Banquet, which will be held on Sept 19^th at 6:30 PM hosted by the LC Extension Office. The FFA/4H Harvest Moon Gala will be held on Sept 26^th at 6:45 PM, hosted at the LC Extension Office.  Office.
• LC Schools Community Partners:
• 1)  Mrs. Webb thanked Pathways for sponsoring the Welcome Back Breakfast for our district staff, which cost nearly $3200.

2) The Lawrence County Fiscal Court donated $49,000 to our schools from the Opioid Settlement Fund. These funds will help provide our students with a curriculum geared toward anti-drug lessons.

3)  KEDC may provide $10,000 toward Terrace Metrics, a survey of students in

grades 3-12 that support social and emotional issues.

4) The Dolly Parton Imagination Library has received several donations from our Community Partners. The Lawrence County Public Library recently donated $10,000 to the program, and the LC Retired Teachers and the First United Methodist Church Women’s Group have also supported it.

5)  The Catalpa Freewill Baptist Church donated $1000 toward our school district’s Family Resource and Youth Service Center (FRYSC) programs.

6) LC School is proud to announce the implementation of the Apprenticeship Building America, Round 2 Grant, which will be issued through June 30, 2028. The grant is for four years and is $502,824. This grant will support a career coach at LCHS for the next four years. This coach will help to provide apprenticeships for our LCHS students within the community.

There were no public comments.

In student learning and support services:

• The LC BOE members approved the minutes of the July 15, 2024, Regular Meeting and the July 30, 2024, Special Meeting.
• The Treasurer’s Claims and Orders were also approved. Mrs. Webb discussed the large number of items for the school year’s start-up costs. She also noted the rental agreement with Mr. Chaffin regarding the FES playground.
• Mrs. Brandi Peters, LC Finance Officer, gave her financial update for July 2024.

Beginning Balance:               $5,065,187

Total Revenue:                      $1,597,141

Expenditures:                         $1,254,130

Fund 1 Cash Balance:            $917,236

Ending Balance of all funds: $5,675,446

• The LC Schools annual audits will begin the week of August 26, 2024.

In the Consent Agenda:

• There are many Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) to be approved. We are thankful to sign an MOA with The Jordan Center, which allows our LCHS nursing students to gain hands-on experience in many areas.
• Also, with KDE on the Math Achievement Fund-Cohort 2 for our new math coaches at FES and LWES.
• A service agreement was approved with Midstream Soft-Wash, with a quote amount of $6,411, for pressure washing our school buildings and bleachers.
• A request for assistance was approved, with the new KHSAA one-time training requirement for a NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course set at $70 per coach.  LC Schools has nearly 50 coaches, at $70 per course, totaling almost $3500.

In construction/building & grounds project updates:

• An invoice for professional services was approved by RossTarrant Architects for the LCHS Vocational Center Phase 1 for $4,088.87.
• An invoice for Codell Construction Pay Estimate 9 for the work performed on the LCHS Vocational Education Center Renovation & Expansion Phase for $510,508.85 was approved.

In Building and Grounds Maintenance/Safety & Security:

• A motion was approved for the LCHS upper bleacher repair/replacement with Toadvine Enterprises for $322,693.
• An invoice for the LMS Roof Replacement Project for professional services provided by RossTarrant Architects for $6,240.74 was approved.
• The board approved the Zurich Builders Risk Insurance for the LMS Roof Replacement Project for $3,531.44.

In Other Action:

• The LC School Board approved the 2024-2025 Tax Rates.

Real Estate Tax Rate: 58.9 cents per $100 of assessed value

Personal Property Tax Rate: 58.9 cents per $100 of assessed value

(6.3 cents for the above rates will be allocated to the Building Fund.)

Motor Vehicle Tax/Watercraft Tax Rate: 35.0 cents per $100 of assessed value

Utility Tax Rate: 3.0%

• The board approved setting the 2024-2025 Sheriff Collection Rate at 3.5%.
• The board approved the 2024-2025 School Fees for LWES.
• Mrs. Colvin asked for a $100 monthly preschool tuition reduction for a second child whose family will be enrolling siblings who reside in the same household in the same school year. The motion was approved.
• The board approved the acknowledgment of notification of the Data Security Breach Notification Best Practice Guide.

In New Business:

• In Personnel, the board approved the abolishment, creation, and changes regarding positions.
• The board approved updated pages to the 2024-2025 Lawrence County Schools Salary Schedule.
• Due to a critical shortage, the board approved a Declaration of Emergency at BES for (1) math teaching position.
• Due to a critical shortage, the board approved a Declaration of Emergency for LCHS for their (2) math teaching positions.

In the Superintendent’s Professional Growth & Evaluation:

Mrs. Webb presented her 2024-2025 Professional Growth Plan to the board members.

Standard One: Strategic Leadership

Establish Superintendent Advisory Councils across the district. These councils will be the foundational frameworks for future strategic planning and will be comprised of students, staff, parents, and community members.

Standard Three: Cultural Leadership & Standard Seven: Influential Leadership (Combined)

Implement a schedule of regular school visits, community events, and meetings with staff, students, parents, and community members. This will strengthen relationships and help us understand the needs of all stakeholders. It will also help us be visible and build relationships in our school district and community.

Standard Five: Managerial Leadership

Develop a finance cadre.  This will allow Mrs. Webb to learn more about the work done in our district’s finance department. It also enables cross-training with our employees, who offer different skills throughout the department. This also allows our finance employees to explore how their work helps positively impact our students within the county.

The LC Board approved the acknowledgment of receipt of the Superintendent’s Personnel Action/Update.

Mr. See adjourned the meeting.

The next Regular School Board Meeting will be held on Monday, September 16, 2024, at 6:00 PM at the LCHS library. All residents are always invited to attend the Lawrence County Board Meetings to become aware of the issues affecting our students and schools. The meetings may also be viewed virtually through the public viewing link. A copy of the most recent Lawrence County Board agendas and meetings may be found on the current Lawrence County District webpage at www.lawrence.k12.ky.us.