Bardstown school board approves across-the-board 1% pay increase
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Board member Franklin Hibbs III listens to a presentation Tuesday at the Bardstown Board of Education meeting.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014 — For the first time in three years, the Bardstown Independent Schools board of education approved a one percent pay increase for all of the district’s certified and classified employees.
Superintendent Brent Hosclaw told the board he was pleased to be able to offer the increase to the district’s employees, which he said was possible due to the partial restoration of some state funding and the anticipated SEEK funding. The increase is the third in the last nine years, Hosclaw said.
TEACHERS HONORED. Bardstown Primary School teachers Laura Gabbert and Margaret Smith, and district speech therapist Sarah Koehler were honored recently by the Central Kentucky Educational Cooperative as “Outstanding Educators” for their work supporting students.
The three designed a program focused on helping students who need to communicate using non-verbal forms of communication. The program has benefitted students and parents as well, according to Lance Boston, the district’s director of special education who nominated the women for the recongition.
“There three represent the best we have, and they deserve this recognition,” Boston said.
A PowerPoint slide details some of the plans for the ongoing health and wellness efforts at the Bardstown City Schools to promote better food choices and increase physical activity.
HEALTH & WELLNESS INITIATIVE. Cara Blackmon, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, gave the board a progress report on the district’s new health and wellness initiatives it began last year. The plan is designed to support healthy eating and create more opportunity for physical activities at school, she said.
The plan included reducing the amount of unhealthy food available at school and at school functions. Next year the program will focus on reducing the number of unhealthy food sold as school fundraisers.
The board also approved changes to the superintendents employment contract that revised language regarding healthcare benefits mandated by the Affordable Care Act, and added a rollover clause that will allow the board to vote to extend the superintendent’s contract for an additional year.
The board also approved the creating of a restricted fund to separate funding for school activities from funds raised for student activities. The move will eliminate the moneys raised by students from being used for operational expenses.
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