City school district votes to lease more space for child care program

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014, 8 p.m. — The Bardstown Independent Schools Board of Education approved a three-year lease Tuesday that will relieve the crowded conditions facing the district’s child care program.

Val Downs explains the proposed lease that will give the city school system child care program additional space.

The board approved leasing one of the three buildings that are part of the former Children’s Universe child care facility on Pennsylvania Avenue across from Hampton Inn. The building will house the district’s K-2 child care program. The building is located near the the Bardstown Primary School.

The program’s child care program is offered as a convenience to parents of children who are already Bardstown City Schools students. Due to growing need for instructional space in the district’s buildings, the district’s child care program is making do with less space, child care Director Val Downs told the board.

The building will need some renovation work, including paint and new carpet, Downs said. The move will allow the program to accept additional students. Downs said the plan is to have the renovation work done by the end of fall break.

FOOD SERVICE CHANGES. Greta Cecil, the district’s nutritional director, told the board that the new, healthier breakfast and lunch menu items have been generally well-received by students.

Greta Cecil, district nutritional director, explains changes in the menu offerings in light of new federal guidelines.

The new rules made it a challenge to continue the district’s tradition of having great tasting food, including a ban on all food containing trans fats.

Cecil said she continues to evaluate new and reformulated products that meet the new nutritional guidelines, and often tests them with high school students, who offer “brutally honest opinions” when asked to try new food items.

TAX RATE SET. The board gave final approval of the new district tax rates that will produce a four percent revenue increase over last year’s tax revenue. The property tax rate increase — from 72.7 to 75.3 cents per $100 value on real estate and personal property — will produce approximately $294,793.82 in additional tax revenue.

The action follows a public hearing on the tax rate the board conducted Monday night. Just one person attended and spoke to the board about the proposed tax rate.

ROOF UPDATE. The work on the Bardstown High School roof is basically complete, Superintendent Brent Holsclaw told the board. “We’re now just finishing up some guttering, and if the weather holds out we may wrap the project up this week,” he said.

ENROLLMENT. Holsclaw reported the district’s overall enrollment saw a modest increase for the new school year, with a K-12 enrollment of 2,556. He presented the board members with updated district fact sheets about the district, its budget and enrollment.

In other action, the board of education:

— heard a report from Early Childhood Education Center Principal Michelle Sharp, who told the board about a new method the staff used this year to screen incoming students prior to the actual start of classes;

— approved second reading of several board policy updates.

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