Board updated on FRYSC programs, signs lease for more child care space

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Catharine Webb, director of the district’s Family Resource Center, told the Bardstown Independent Board of Education about the center’s latest summer program.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015, 10 p.m. — The coming school year will mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of Family Resource/ Youth Service Centers, and the Bardstown Independent Board of Education heard updates Tuesday from its FRYSC coordinators, Catharine Webb and Josh Payne.

Webb, the family resource center coordinator, told the board her efforts have been focused on kindergarten readiness. This summer, the center hosted a program called “Passport to Learning,” aimed at families who have children under 5 years of age. The program was open to city and county residents.

Payne, the youth services coordinator, said this summer he has conducted a “Next Step Camp,” a program aimed at incoming sixth-graders.

Josh Payne, coordinator of the district’s youth service center, said he’s been working to help incoming 6th-graders prepare for the transition to middle school.

“As you guys know, sixth-grade can be a rocky time for kids coming in from elementary school,” Payne said. “The focus was to reduce students’ anxiety and help them be better prepared to be successful in middle school.”

The program also covered a variety of topics that include dealing with peer pressure and peer conflicts as well as social media.

“We try to bring that information to the parents as well,” he said. “A lot of them have no clue what’s going on. We give them the tools to have a better understanding of it.”

The centers’ goal since they were created by the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) has been to eliminate barriers to learning, Superintendent Brent Holsclaw told the board.

“To me, this is the single most important part of the Kentucky Education Reform Act,” he said.

Board member Andy Stone listens to a presentation at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

CHILD CARE EXPANSION. The board approved a lease that will expand the district’s childcare facility to include a second building adjacent to the building the district now leases at 855 Pennsylvania Ave. The facility will house daycare for 3 and 4-year-olds and afterschool care for K-3. The addition of a

The additional building will be added to the existing lease since they are owned by the same party. Joey Downs, the district’s director of human resources and technology, told the board the childcare program has had enough pre-registration to cover the additional cost of the lease. The two buildings will house 3 and 4 year olds, as well as afterschool care for grades K-2.

TELL SURVEY. Holsclaw and the board reviewed the district’s 2015 Tell Survey results, which are compiled from anonymous surveys of the district’s school-based licensed educators.

Superintendent Brent Holsclaw makes a point during discussion at Tuesday’s meeting of the Bardstown Independent board of education.

The district’s teachers gave it good marks as a good place to work, and teachers gave votes of confidence in the school and district leadership, as well as the district’s support of instruction and instructional practices.

One area of concern was a low score teachers gave regarding a question about the communication of professional development results to teachers. Holsclaw told the board that he believes the district can and will do a better job communicating professional development results with the district’s certified teachers.

Board member Jennifer Shrewsberry told Holsclaw some of the lower scores in the survey reflect on school leadership. “I really feel because of these we can’t ignore that and need to look at that as a leadership avenue.”

POLICY UPDATES. The board approved first reading on policy updates that include restrictions on the recording video on school property by certified and classified employees and students.

The new policy requires the school principal’s approval of any video recording during instructional time. The policy won’t restrict anyone’s ability to record video at a school function open to the public or school sports events.

The policy regarding tobacco use on campus was modified to include e-cigarettes and their variants.

In other action, the Bardstown Board of Education:

— heard that it was close to 99 percent on its tax collection efforts. Holsclaw told the board that just out of $6.4 million in assessed taxes, all but $40,412 had been collected to date.

— approved the district’s 2016 funding assurances, which are promises the district will follow proper procedures in administering its funds and follow state and federal guidelines that apply.

— approved the 2015-16 Extra Service Schedule of the extra pay district employees can earn for taking on additional responsibilities, like coaching a sport, etc.

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