Precinct boundaries, school facilities plan among items discussed by school board…

Posted July 20, 2016 at 2:20 pm

Clinton County Board of Education, with all members present, held a lengthy meeting and work session last Thursday evening, July 14. The board both took action on some items of business and viewed presentations from other individuals on different topics.

The board first heard a presentation from Clinton County Clerk Shelia Booher and Deputy Clerk Nathan Collins pertaining to precinct boundary lines.

Booher presented board members with the new precinct boundaries as it relates to board of education areas. She noted boundaries are assessed after each U.S. Census to make each precinct compatible within five percent population per precinct.

It was noted that the boundary lines would not affect the actual school board races, as although some lines have changed, all precinct boundaries will remain in each perspective district, although some voters will be moved from one precinct to another (within the same district) to comply with the five percent population requirement.

Booher also noted that the next U.S. Census is scheduled to be conducted in 2020, which she said was still four years away, but that time would pass by quickly and there may be more boundary and precinct changes after results of that census is released.

Following the presentation, the board, on a motion by Jeff Sams, voted to approve the changes in the precinct boundary lines as presented by the county clerk. The motion passed by unanimous vote.

The board then heard a presentation from Robert Goforth, a Somerset pharmacist, regarding drug awareness and a program where he makes presentations to school students at each grade level.

Goforth requested permission from the board to be allowed to make his anti-drug abuse presentations to the Clinton County schools during the upcoming 2016-17 school year. He noted he had made several presentations in surrounding school districts to make students aware of the dangers of drug use and abuse, including medication and prescription drug abuse.

During the presentation, Goforth told the board that “one in four” students across the state had abused prescription medication in some form or another, a 33 percent increase since 2008. He also said Kentucky led the nation in drug overdoses and deaths as a result.

Goforth requested to be able to visit the three schools, elementary, middle and high school, on a quarterly basis if possible. Although the board agreed to allow him to make presentations at the schools, Superintendent Charlotte Bernard said she would leave it up to individual school principals to do the scheduling of speakers and said she would connect Goforth with the principals to arrange that scheduling.

The bulk of the almost two and a-half-hour session was discussions with Tim Lucas regarding the school district’s facility plan and Dwight Salisbury of Ross, Sinclair & Associates regarding bonding.

Each representative gave detailed information regarding the facility plan, steps that needed to be taken to carry out and fund the most needed projects, primarily at Clinton County High School, and bonding capacity to carry out the most important and prioritized projects.

Part of the funding source that would give the biggest financial boost is if the board accepted the “nickel” or five cent increase (which is recallable) on property taxes which would increase bonding capacity. The “nickel” or five cents per each property assessment gained in taxes, could be used for school facilities.

Funding sources come from SEEK funds and the Facilities Schools program, which are matched and doubles the local tax amount, which for 2016 is estimated, with the nickel added, at $251,528.

The district’s current bonding capacity is $4.5 million. With the aforementioned increase, it could raise the bonding capacity to just under $14 million through the year 2037. Again, the nickel increase is just one option for the board to consider.

Although the overall facilities plan calls for renovations of some type to each school, the high school apparently is the oldest building and the one in most need of renovations.

Lucas told the board that the cost of a new school would likely exceed $30 million, which is apparently not feasible at this point. However, he did note that renovations and “additions” using the bonding capacity the district has and revenue it can generate, could be done in “increments,” or one project at a time to basically have a somewhat new school in the existing building.

Superintendent Bernard noted she would like to have some type of actual plan in writing so the district could prioritize its needs to go along with the funding they have to carry through with needed projects.

Bernard and board members asked several questions during the presentations and received a wealth of needed information pertaining to both the facilities plan and bonding capacity issues.

In other business, the board:

* Approved first reading of policy/procedure updates recommended by the Kentucky School Boards Association.

* Voted to establish a certified English teaching position at Clinton County High School.

* Supt. Bernard conducted a brief work session on the following topics: finance, personnel, jobdescriptions, CCMS gymnasium court (proposal to name the court the Robbie Davis Court in memory of the late sports supporter/coach and businessman Robbie Davis who recently passed away); an addendum to the School Resource Office agreement (with the city of Albany); various school district contracts; and the superintendent’s evaluation.

Most of those items were to be voted on at the regular business meeting that was held this past Monday night and details of that meeting can be found beginning on page 1.