City school board reviews ACT scores, gets update on free school meals program
Bardstown High School Principal Chris Pickett reviews Bardstown High ACT scores versus the state benchmark for the past eight years.
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
TARIQ ARMOUR
Tuesday, July 18, 2017 —Tuesday’s meeting of the Bardstown Board of Education opened with a moment of silence to honor the memory of Tariq Armour, the 18-year-old Bardstown High School graduate who had signed to play college football at Georgetown College in Kentucky.
“This past Sunday afternoon, we lost a member of our Bardstown City Schools family,” Superintendent Brent Holsclaw announced.
“Tariq was a great student and a great athlete, but most importantly, he was a great person. We want his family to know that they have our full support and we’ll do anything we need to do to help support them, and they know they are in our thoughts and our prayers.”
ACT SCORE REVIEW. Chris Pickett, principal of Bardstown High School, presented the latest ACT scores to the board, including a review of the district’s past scores dating back to 2010.
The district has maintained a trend of improving scores over the years, along with the state averages.
“What I’m particularly proud of this year is that we reached a point that is the highest composite score we’ve ever received — and its a cut above the state 
average,” Pickett said.
The state’s benchmark composite score was 19.8, while the district composite score was 20.4.
And in the individual content areas — English, math, reading and science — the district’s scores exceed the state’s benchmark scores in every area, he said.
Pickett credited student success on the ACT test to the district’s focus on preparation of students in taking the test, and to improved focus on teaching methods and rigorous coursework in the classroom.
BUS GARAGE PROJECT. Todd Hood, the district’s director of instructional related services, told the board the bus garage project is nearly complete.
The district has been been granted the right to occupy the nearly completed space. A punch list of final details needed attention is being worked on. The move to the new bus garage should be complete by the first day of school.
COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION REVIEW. The city schools participated in the Community Eligibility Provision program this past school year, which allowed the district to offer every student who attended Bardstown Primary, Bardstown Elementary or Bardstown Middle School free breakfast and lunch.
Greta Cecil, the district’s director of food and nutrition, called the program an overwhelming success.
“Teachers are pleased and we’re pleased that we can contribute to the physical development and cognitive development of our children by providing free meals,” she said.
The schools served 24,000 more breakfasts and 20,000 more lunches that the prior year, she said. Districtwide, participation in the meal program is at an all-time high at 82 percent.
In other business, the board:
— approved the substitute teacher salary schedule. The new schedule gives substitutes an extra $5 per day.
— was introduced to Christy VanDeventer, the district’s new childcare director
— approved a request to amend the district’s contract covering its printers and copies to include an additional 13 printers that were overlooked.
— reviewed policy and procedure updates.
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