School Board Updated on Student Technology

MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The Hopkins County Board of Education met Tuesday and welcomed several education students in attendance.

Superintendent Linda Zellich addressed the students.

“There is a wide variety of future teachers among you,” said Zellich. “Keep up the good work and come back see us when you graduate.”

Assistant Superintendent Deanna Ashby reported on the Instructional Summit held during the summer with all administrators and central office personnel in attendance as well as guidance counselors and curriculum coordinators. The summit highlighted all the instructional district initiatives the district is working on, said Ashby.

She said the district adds a few more each year to “up our game.”

All instructional directors in the district as well as Zellich have schools they work with on a regular basis, attend leadership meetings and work with them on data analysis and long and short-term planning. All the information gathered is pushed out to the teachers in the district.

Ashby said they are really excited about the system they have built and all the great things that are going on instructionally.

Assistant Superintendent Shari Winstead shared district technology data she had gathered and submitted to the state for the technology readiness report.

She said the report is submitted in order to help the legislators make decisions on educational technologies.

Computers in the district including student devices and staff devices totals 5,993 and 72 percent of those are student devices, said Winstead.

In 2014-2015 the district purchased 1,760 devices and only surplussed 850. There were 1,101 Chrome Books purchased last year and only 597 computers, evidence of the types of devices being bought is changing with the times, said Winstead.

She said they would like to be able to refresh computers on a five-year plan but that is a significant commitment to continue.

“We look for and utilize funding sources as often as possible,” said Winstead.

It was recommended and approved for Hanson fourth grade to travel by school bus to Evansville, Sept. 25, for HCCHS Band to travel by school bus to Clarksville, Sept. 19, for HCCHS Softball team to travel by school bus to McCracken County, March 25-26, for HCCHS National Honor Society to travel by charter bus to Nashville, Nov. 20, for MNHHS Volleyball team to travel by school bus to Elizabethtown, Sept. 4-5, MNHHS Volleyball team to travel by school bus to McCracken Co, Sept. 25-26, for MNHHS Dance Team, to travel by school bus and by airplane to Nashville Airport, to Orlando, Fla., Feb. 24-28, for West Broadway fifth-grade class to travel by school bus to Evansville, Nov.. 4.

The board approved to pay the following invoices:

• English Priest & Owsely, LLP, $7,096.78 for legal services for the month of July 2015.
• Middleton Reulinger in conjunction with ELPO, $1,324.32 for one-fourth of invoice for legal mediation that was held on July 7, 2015.
• Extreme Networks, Inc, $19,674 for network switches, cables, fan module, etc. for the Hopkins County Career and Technology Center.
• Furniture Discount Warehouse, $956.25 for chair mats for the Hopkins County Career and Technology Center.
• Peyronnin, $17,8103.10 for application No. 14 for construction on the Hopkins County Career and Technology Center.
• Ronald Johnson & Associates, PSC, $250 for MNHHS baseball field inspections.

Fundraisers recommended and approved included:

Earlington PTA Fall Festival, games and concessions to raise money for the PTA, Earlington PTA to sell Paragon Catalog items to raise money for the PTA, Grapevine, Bookfair, to raise money for the library, Grapevine PTA, McDonalds donation for PTA officers and teachers to serve and clean dining area at McDonald's and McDonalds will make a donation to the PTA, Grapevine PTA, Box Tops, to raise money for classroom needs, Hanson, Sureway Awards, to raise money for playground equipment for Hanson students, Hanson, Penguin Patch, sell holiday gifts to raise money for students through Family Resource Youth Service Center.

Also approved were fundraisers for Hanson PTA, Fall Festival, games and concessions to raise money for classrooms, Hanson, Barbara Yonts Photography, photo sessions to raise funds for the student council, Hanson to sell Great American Catalog items to raise money for Donuts for Dad, Field Day, Mother's Day Tea, etc., Hanson, Box Tops to raise money for T-shirts for field day, Hanson, Kroger Awards, to raise money for playground equipment for Hanson students, JMMS PTSA, Back to School Bash, to raise money for PTSA sponsored activities, JMMS PTSA, Valentine's Dance, to raise money for PTSA sponsored activities, JMMS PTSA, Bags for Bucks, to raise money for PTSA sponsored activities, JMMS, Bookfair, twice a year, to raise funds for the library, JMMS PTSA.

The board approved the fundraisers for a mum sale to raise money for PTSA sponsored activities, JMMS PTSA, Shop-A-Roo to raise money for PTSA sponsored activities, JMMS, PTSA, Fall Dance, sell tickets and concessions to raise money for PTSA sponsored activities, JMMS, “Together We Can Make Things Happen,” Paragon Catalog Sales for student programs and activities sponsored by the JMMS Family Resource Youth Service Center, Jesse Stuart PTA, to sell UK and Louisville cups to raise money for copy machine repair and maintenance agreement, Jesse Stuart PTA, Dairy Queen Night, to raise money for PBIS rewards, Jesse Stuart PTA, to sell Peel to Save Cards, to raise money for KPREP medals, Jesse Stuart PTA, Fall Festival, 50/50 drawing, cake walk, king and queen, concessions, etc. to raise money for PTSA sponsored activities.

And, approvals were granted for fundraisers for West Hopkins PTO, Santa Shop, selling of holiday gifts to raise funds for awards, rewards, etc., West Hopkins PTO, Silent Auction, sell gift baskets to raise funds for awards, rewards, student testing, field day, programs/assemblies, etc., West Hopkins PTO, registration fee to join PTO to raise money for fall festival, KY Kids Day, Red Ribbon Week, etc., West Hopkins PTO, McDonalds donation for PTO officers and teachers to serve and clean dining area at McDonald's for McDonalds make a donation to the PTO and West Hopkins Tennis Court Makeover to ask for donations to repair the tennis courts.

The board approved for the application of the following grants:

• Hopkins County Career and Technology Center, Carl Perkins Reserved Fund Grant in the amount of $24,762.
• Hopkins County Career and Technology Center, National Science Foundation Grant, up to $600,000 - ($200,000 per year for three years).
• Pride Elementary, Yaegar Charitable Trust Grant in the amount of $3,500.
• West Hopkins, Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grant.

A Beta Club student fee was approved for Browning Springs Middle School for $15.

There was an approval for a Change Order on the Hopkins County Career and Technology Center in the amount of a credit of $2,406. This credit will allow the school to change to the Stanley Card Reader Service.

The schedule for parent teacher conferences:

• Elementary Schools - Tuesday, Sept. 29, 3:30 - 5:45 p.m.
• Middle Schools - Thursday, Oct. 1, 3:30 - 5:45 p.m.
• High Schools - Wednesday, Sept. 30, 3:30 - 5:45 p.m.

Fall break will be Monday, Oct. 5 through Friday, Oct. 9 with Central Office to be closed Friday, Oct. 9.

Monday, Sept. 21, there will be no school due to staff development.

Upcoming board of education meetings are:

• Monday, Sept. 14, a special called tax hearing meeting, Central Office at 5:30 p.m.
• Monday, Sept. 21, Central Office at 5:30 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 19, Central Office at 5:30 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 2, Central Office, 5:30 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 16, Central Office, 5:30 p.m.

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