Bardstown board reviews 2013-14 audit, marks college application month

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Board chair Jennifer Shrewsberry listens while Superintendent Brent Holsclaw talks at Tuesday’s board meeting.

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, 10:30 p.m. — The Bardstown Independent Schools board of education unanimously approved the district’s annual financial review Tuesday after a detailed presentation about the district’s 2013-14 audit.

Jason Strange of Smith &  Company CPAs, discussed the audit with the board and said the audit represented a “clean opinion.” Following Strange’s presentation, Dr. Pat Hagan told the board the issues the audit found “really amount to housekeeping stuff.”

COLLEGE BOUND. Kim Case, counselor at Bardstown High School, updated the board on a districtwide program on Friday to get as many students in the district thinking about going to college. She said the district’s employees were being encouraged to wear something that represents their alma mater or favorite college

Bardstown High School counselor Kim Case tells the board of college visits to the school this week.

November is college application month, and Case reported that Campbellsville University and the University of Louisville were visiting the campus Tuesday. UofL was giving BHS students on-site approvals Tuesday, and she reported that 12 of 25 interested students had already been accepted.

Case said bringing college representatives to the district gives students an opportunity to consider colleges even if they don’t have the ability to make a campus visit.

FOCUS ON INSTRUCTION. Bardstown High School Principal Chris Pickett reviewed plans to build on the schools K-PREP scores in the coming school year.

“We’re trying to meet every students’ instructional goals and needs,” he told the board, noting that the school met college and career readiness goals.

CREDIT CARD SERVICES. The board voted to move forward with the concept of accepting credit cards within the district. Dr. Pat Hagan, district finance officer, told the board those who paid with credit cards would be required to pay a convenience fee. After questions about when and where cards would be accepted, the board agreed unanimously to have Hagan proceed.

The board of education also:

— approved a maintenance agreement for repair and maintenance of the high school and middle school bleachers;

— approved board member Franklin Hibbs III as its representative on the local planning committee;

— approved the adoption of the Department of Education’s superintendent professional growth and effectiveness system (SPGES).

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