School Board Acts on Agenda Items
During their regular November 22, 2021 meeting, the McCreary County Board of Education approved naming Pine Knot Elementary Building 1’s library in honor of the late school board member and long-time McCreary County educator, Nelda Gilreath. The school library will be officially known as the Nelda Gilreath Library.
Board Members also approved naming the McCreary Central High School Baseball Field in honor of Darrell Denney. The Denney Field will honor Denney who was the local head baseball coach for twenty-two years and a teacher. Denney built the local High School baseball program and was inducted into the Kentucky High School Coaches Hall of Fame.
DECO Architect presented more information about the McCreary County Middle School Renovation/Addition Project noting a loop drive around the back of the renovated building will be a “game-changer” in alleviating traffic congestion during student drop-off and pick-up. In action related to the renovation, Board Members voted 3-2 (Foster, Hammons, King) in favor of hiring Branscum Construction Company as construction manager for the project.
In other action, the Board approved giving employees five days of COVID leave based on a positive COVID-19 test. The Board also approved the creation of a contract tracer position.
Board Member Lori Foster asked that an agenda item (discussion of the salary schedule for secretaries/administrative assistants) be added to the agenda. The item was placed on the agenda, and the Finance Officer was subsequently asked to obtain and present a comparison with surrounding districts of local secretarial/administrative assistant salaries. The comparison will be provided during a future meeting.
Foster also asked that a second item (discussion and/or action on a comprehensive review of the salary schedule) be added to the agenda. The agenda item was added with the Board subsequently voting to discuss a comprehensive review (with comparison to surrounding districts) of the entire salary schedule in March 2022. Salary schedules are voted on and approved annually in May.
Board Member Stacey Hammons asked that Item E. in “Consent Items” (approve revised policies regarding emergency leave-2nd reading) be moved to “Items with Discussion.” The item was moved. Board Member Hammons questioned if the policy’s guidelines for bereavement (death of a relative or personal friend) might need further definition/restriction. The Board tabled the 2nd reading of the revised emergency leave policies until their December meeting.
Additionally, McCreary County Middle School student, Ashton Guy Kidd, led the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the school board meeting. The next meeting of the McCreary County Board of Education will be Monday, December 13, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. at McCreary Central High School.
