(This was received today March 8, 2023; LC Schools press release)
Special Lawrence County Board of Education Meeting March 2, 2023
The Lawrence County Board of Education held a special meeting at Lawrence County High School in the library on March 6, 2023, at 6:00 PM. Board members Jim See- (Chairman), Maddlene Roberts (Vice Chair), Garnett Skaggs, Barbara Robinson, and Susie Rice were all present in person.
The meeting was called to order by Mr. See. The first order of business was the communication/Superintendent’s update. Dr. Fletcher discussed the recently written Article 4: Building a Better Future for the Students of Lawrence County: Investments by the Taxpayer and Comparisons with Neighboring Districts.
Lawrence County’s current tax rate for property is one of the lowest in the area at 57.2 cents. Dr. Fletcher gave county-by-county comparisons of the tax rates of other counties in our region. Boyd County’s property tax rate is 67.7, while Greenup’s is 82.8, and Martin County’s is 84.6. He also discussed the Double Nickel tax rates. If you own $100 in property, an individual will pay $0.12. In owning $1000 in property, an individual will pay $1.24. In owning $10,000 in property, an individual will pay $12.40. In owning $100,000 in property, an individual will pay $124.00, etc. Dr. Fletcher also explained that LC Schools does not have the authority to raise any utility bills within the county. It was announced that there will be a Tax Levy Hearing on March 15, 2023, at 6:00 PM at the LCHS Library.
In student learning and support services, the board members approved the Claims and Orders of the Treasurer. In the Consent Agenda, there was a contract modification in an increase in enrollment from the amount of $404, 808 to $408,255.
There was a request for assistance with the purchase of jerseys for the Louisa Middle School Boys’ and Girls” Soccer Teams. The teams are on a four-year rotation, with the board assisting every two years. The amount will tentatively be $2,460 for each team. The total amount of $5000 was approved for the teams’ jerseys.
There was also a request for assistance with the payment of the AP testing fees for the LCHS students. The total for the AP tests will total $730, which was approved.
In construction, building, and grounds projects, the contract BG: 23-237 was tabled. There was a motion to accept annual bids for grass-mowing services. The motion passed unanimously.
There was a motion made to approve permission to bid operation, management, and monitoring of broadband LANWLAN components Managed Internal Broadband (MIB) services. A motion was made to approve a bid for Leased Lit Network Capacity to provide a Standalone Data Transmission (WAN) Service for the schools of BES, FES, LEES, and LWES, which was approved.
A recommendation was given by Dr. Fletcher, to approve the 2023-2024 Lawrence County School District Calendar. He proposed selecting Calendar Option A, which gave a starting date of August 9, 2023, and will provide a full five-day Fall Break, and a standard three-day Thanksgiving Break. A motion was made by Maddlene Roberts and seconded by Susie Rice; the motion passed unanimously.
The meeting entered Executive Session for the purpose of a Student Discipline/Expulsion Hearing.
Once the meeting returned to an Open Session, there was a motion to approve to acknowledge receipt of the Superintendent’s Personnel Action/Update, which was approved.
The meeting was then adjourned.
The next Regular School Board Meeting will be held on Monday, March 20, 2023, at Blaine Elementary School at 6:00 PM. `All residents are always invited to attend the Lawrence County Board Meetings to become aware of the issues affecting our students and schools. The meetings may also be viewed virtually through the public viewing link. A copy of the most recent Lawrence County Board agendas & meetings may be found on the current Lawrence County District webpage at www.lawrence.k12.ky.us.
