Clinton County Board of Education held a joint meeting and monthly work session last Thursday afternoon, June 9. Only three members were able to attend, Kevin Marcum, Crystal Irwin and Goldie Stonecipher, which was enough for an official quorum to conduct business.

A few items were voted on at the meeting, with the board also hearing presentations from two principals during the approximate one-hour session.

The board first voted unanimously to approve the Non-Traditional Instruction School Day Plan for the 2016-27 school year, a plan that was deemed successful last year both in allowing students to continue to be educated while schools were closed due to inclement weather, as well as being able to use those days during the school year in lieu of having to extend classroom days at the end of the year.

Superintendent Charlotte Bernard told the board the district would be applying for the maximum 10 days for the non-instructional, or as some refer, cyber school days, as opposed to the six days allotted the district in 2015-16. Although it is hoped only a few of the days will actually have to be used outside the classroom, they would have the option if a higher than usual number of days have to be cancelled.

After approving the upcoming school year Certified Evaluation Plan, the board voted to approve an updated job description for the Director of Alternative School.

Supt. Bernard told the board that Jeff Pharis, who had done a great job in that capacity over the past four years, will be retiring and the new job description for whomever takes the position will be up to date, including a change that will allow that person to be supervised by the school principal, as opposed to the superintendent–basically cutting out a middle-man to do the supervision.

The board then approved consultation services concerning schedules, dual credit, professional learning communities, and other leadership skills/procedures from Todd Tucker, a Kentucky Department of Education consultant, for Clinton County High School Principal Stacey Evans.

Tucker, who according to superintendent Bernard would consult with Evans between five and 10 times, will have fees paid out of the Title I program appropriations and not the general fund.

The board then heard from Early Childhood Principal Sheldon Harlan and Clinton County Middle School Principal Teresa Scott, who gave presentations regarding MAP data from each school through the past school year.

The MAP tests help track school and student progress and both principals had some encouraging news regarding overall percentages of students who are progressing, but also noting that some areas still need improvement.

Overall gains, some small and some above average, were made in each grade in specific core areas of study, including Math, Reading and Science, and at the ECC, 78 percent of students met the benchmark for Reading and 79 percent in Math.

The board also approved first reading on five separate policy amendments, all of which pertain to tobacco products.

Beginning July 1, the local school district will become “smoke free” meaning all campuses in the district will ban smoking and tobacco product use on its premises, and the policy changes pertains specifically to that issue. (A separate article on the smoke free schools will be published in a later issue.)

Work session topics included finances, insurance and the various types of policies the district is required to have, District Assurances, Code of Pupil Conduct, and Instructional Day Schedule.

The school board held its regular monthly business meeting Monday night of this week and a separate article on that meeting can be found beginning on page 1.

School board holds monthly business meeting Monday

Clinton County Board of Education held its regular business meeting Monday evening, June 13 with all members present. The board dealt with several end of the year personnel changes, insurance premiums, and other topics.

The board first approved consent items, including minutes of previous meetings, paying claims and bills, approving between meeting disbursements and approving a family medical leave for Annis Vitatoe through June 6.

Following the monthly finance report from Finance Director Mike Reeves, board chairperson Paula Key read a lengthy personnel report, which included the following:

* Certified Transfers: Jamie Cooksey from Kindergarten teacher to part-time Preschool teacher at Clinton County Early Childhood Center and part-time Home/Hospital teacher district-wide; Emily Manning from Albany Elementary teacher to district-wide teacher; Ashley Hardin from Clinton County Middle School teacher to district- wide teacher; Kayla Kriek from CCHS teacher to district-wide teacher. (The latter three are special education instructors.)

* Certified Non-Renewal: Debbie Lowhorn, Math tutor at the middle school.

* Certified Resignation: Ashley Ipock, Cheer Coach at CCMS.

* Certified Hired: Kenzie Pharis, 7th grade girls’ basketball coach and Brandon Pharis, 8th grade boys’ basketball coach, both at Clinton County Middle School.

* Classified Hired: Kathy Conner, teacher’s aide for Migrant Summer School, district-wide.

* Classified Transfers: Janet Guthrie from Kindergarten aide to Preschool aid at ECC; Angelia Byers from AES aide to middle school aide; Dana Shelley from AES aide to CCMS aide; Bea Wallace from Albany Elementary aide to middle school aide.

* Classified Resignations: Tammy Parrish, Transportation Director, district -wide; Doug Spears, Secretary II at CCHS; Elise Thrasher, cook at the Early Childhood Center. All taking effect June 30.

*Classified Non-Renewals: Amanda Shelton, bus monitor, district-wide and Amanda Hatfield, Writing tutor at the middle school.

* Substitute Teacher; Crystal Stinson, district wide.

The board then dealt with various required insurance policies, including:

* Approving Zurich American Insurance Company (Robert’s Insurance) as the provider for Student School Accident Insurance at a cost of approximately $43,785.69 for the coverage, which includes a 10-year catastrophic benefit of $7.5 million per student.

* Approved Liberty Mutual Insurance Company for School Package Policy, Commercial Automobile, and Commercial Umbrella at $139,230 and BCS Insurance Company for Cyber Liability Coverage in the amount of $1,813, with the annual premium total of $141,043.00, plus mandated replacement cost values and/or additional vehicles. This is about $9,000 less than the current year’s premiums.

* Approved Kentucky Employers Mutual Insurance (KEMI) for Worker’s Compensation at a cost of $36,748.08, with all premiums effective for the 2016-17 school year.

The board approved second and final reading on five policy amendments, all pertaining to tobacco use in schools, as Clinton County will become a smoke-free school district effective July 1 of this year.

The board then approved the annual District Assurances, meaning they will adhere to all federal guidelines pertaining to federal programs and funding for the upcoming year.

The annual Code of Pupil Conduct was approved, with Director of Pupil Personnel Julie York telling the board that only minor changes, as in job descriptions, dates, etc. had changed, but noted the two more prominent changes reflected the district’s tobacco free schools policy and the state recommended anti-bullying provisions.

The board also approved the 2016-17 school year instructional day schedule.

The schedule reflects 172 classroom days; 420 minutes per day; non-instructional minutes of 35 per day, with 385 instructional minutes; banked minutes per day per 170 day year, 28 total hours; 65,450 instructional minutes and 1,090 instructional hours.

The opening and closing time for each school, unchanged from the past year, is: CCMS, 7:50 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.; CCHS, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; AES and ECC, 8:10 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.

Albany Elementary School Principal Tim Armstrong and high school principal Stacey Evans each giving a presentation on the most recent end-of-year MAP data for each school, grade and students. CCMS Principal Teresa Scott and ECC Principal Sheldon Harlan had gave previous updates the prior week at the board’s work session/meeting.

Armstrong noted that Albany Elementary, overall, had done quite well, especially in the two primary areas of Math and Reading, but the school would be implementing new programs to assist students who are struggling in some areas.

Evans also noted that at the high school, some gains were made and some were not, but the school was continuing to work to improve in the areas where most students were falling short of their overall goals.

Superintendent Charlotte Bernard gave her monthly report, explaining there was a lot of end-of-year work being done and informed the board she was working with consultants to amend the district’s facilities plan. She also stated she was looking at setting goals for the next school year and although the just completed year had been a good year, it is hoped it will be even better going forward.

Prior to adjourning, the board entered into a closed session to discuss “pending litigation in James C. Thaxton and Michael P. Sinclair v. Clinton County Board of Education, et al….presently pending in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky, Bowling Green Division…”

No action was taken upon returning to open session, and the board agenda was approved and the meeting was adjourned.

The next work session/meeting of the school board will be Thursday, July 14 at 4:30 p.m. and the next regular business meeting Monday, July 18 at 5 p.m., both at the Central Office board room and both open to the general public.