August 2019

Staff eNews

Thanks to everyone for helping us have a great start to the school year! Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

Building Student Attendance

Improving student attendance is an essential strategy for ensuring student success and reducing achievement gaps. Hopkins County Schools will be tackling chronic absence this year through a public information campaign. Since September is Attendance Awareness Month, we are providing links to materials you can share this month with your students and families. Coloring Sheets Promotional Materials Laying a foundation for strong attendance in the early years is a key to future academic success.

Board Agendas

Salary Schedule

Finance Department

Educational Opportunities at Mahr Park Arboretum

Mahr Park Arboretum has developed a variety of educational opportunities that we can use with our students. A summary page is posted online that describes what the park offers, how long the lesson would be, and price per student. Links to this information, as well as the registration form, is available on the district website under Staff > Teacher Resources. Field Trip Information Field Trip Registration Form

Super Saturdays Instructor Application Available

Have an Interesting Hobby or Expertise You Can Share?! The GT Program needs you to come up with a challenging, yet fun, course to teach at Madisonville Community College for two Saturdays, February 15 and 22, 2020. The subject or grade level you currently teach does not have an impact on the course you design. If you have an interesting outside hobby, expertise, or talent, they want to know about it! You will even GET PAID! On Super Saturdays, our gifted students get to spend about 6 hours learning something at a fast pace with their gifted peers in grades 2-8. But it doesn't work well without super teachers! Apply to teach this high-level, fast-paced group. Instructor applications are due September 20, 2019. For more information, read through the application link below or contact Lindsay Arnett or Kathy Carver . Super Saturdays Instructor Application

Superintendent to recommend compensating tax rate Hop kins County Board of Education will not hold a public hearing on the property tax levy on Tuesday. Instead, Superintendent Deanna Ashby will recommend the board take the compensating rate. This would result in a tax rate decrease for property owners. A public hearing had been scheduled prior to Tuesday’s regular Board of Education meeting on a proposed property tax levy of 70.9 cents per $100 assessed property valuation on real property and 70.9 cents on personal property. “In consideration of the current status of our economy, there seems to be a general consensus among individual board members to take the lower compensating rate,” said board Chairman J.W. Durst. “This will be the second year in a row to take the compensating rate. As a school district, we are committed to put kids first.” The property tax levied by the school district in fiscal year 2019 was 69 cents on real property and 69 cents on personal property. The compensating tax rate of 68.2 cents on real estate and personal property is estimated to result in tax revenue of $17,385,747. The lower rate is expected to generate $203,938 less in revenue than the current rate. “Our Board of Education continues to find ways to do more with less,” Ashby said. “The vision for the 2019-2020 school year is to learn and inspire. We will continue to provide the best education while striving to do what is best for our community, students, and team members.”

Financial Matters This is a high-level perspective of how General Fund dollars were spent in 2018-2019. The numbers are right in line with other public school districts in the United States. Typically, 80 to 85 percent of school district budgets is earmarked for personnel and benefits, according to the American Association of School Administrators.

Major Purchases & Projects

Four new school buses New paving at Earlington Elementary School Hopkins County School employees received a 2% raise for the 2019-2020 school year. This is the first increase in three years. New HVAC Cooling Towers installed at Earlington Elementary, Jesse Stuart Elementary, and Southside Elementary Demolition of the “old” Career & Technology Center New Tennis Courts at Madisonville North Hopkins High School New Bus Driver Training Center and Browning Springs Middle School Field House Visit our Finance Department webpage for more information.

Old CTC Demolition Planned Demolition of the old Career and Technology Center on Grapevine Road is expected to begin soon. The Board of Education accepted the low bid of $32,000 from Hamby Construction Inc. Work is expected to begin in upcoming weeks.

Work is underway to install new PE equipment at South Hopkins Middle School. This is being done as part of the $16,756 Project Fit America Grant funded by Baptist Health Madisonville. When installation is complete, a trainer will teach PE teacher Daniel Croft about using the equipment and how it links to their lessons. Students and staff are excited about this opportunity!

CO Surprises the Schools

Central Office staff paired up in teams and went out into the schools on Opening Day. Staff members brought a goodie box to each school, performed surprise service projects, and talked to school staff. It was a great visit and will inspire additional projects!

Learning to LEAD Ben Prevette, an agriculture teacher at Hopkins County Central, is among 16 members selected for the LEAD class. This is a 2-year program that allows members to experience the various aspects of Farm Bureau, while experiencing professional growth in agriculture. LEAD, which stands for Leadership Enhancement for Agricultural Development, provides leadership training for young members. Since the beginning of the LEAD program in 1998, 176 leaders from across the state have participated in this program. The focus is on political involvement, effective communication, personal development, and Farm Bureau involvement. During a recent trip to Louisville, the class met with Jack Brammer of The Lexington Herald-Leader, John Sparrow, CEO of KY Farm Bureau Insurance, and Tim Thornberry and Matt Hilton of KY Farm Bureau. They spent the next day at Asbury University developing leadership and communication skills on the low and high ropes courses. The trip finished with a visit to the Kentucky State Fair, which included the 56th Annual Country Ham Breakfast with addresses by Gov. Matt Bevin, Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, and other dignitaries.

Hopkins County Schools Superintendent Deanna Ashby, Jesse Stuart Elementary School Principal Brandon McClain, James Madison Middle School Principal Matt Melton, and Browning Springs Middle School Principal Jason Clark volunteered for time behind bars to benefit the Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library. Combined efforts of the four administrators raised more than $1,400 for the library during the agency’s Jail-n-Bail fundraiser on July 26. Assistant Superintendent Marty Cline took part in First United Bank’s Kiss Cancer Goodbye fundraiser on the front lawn of the main bank office on Aug. 9. He raised the 2 nd highest donation total among the 13 contestants and qualified to kiss a cow! He raised $243.38 to benefit Relay for Life.

Grab & Go Breakfasts

A great start to a student's day! Grab & Go breakfasts are served daily at Earlington, West Broadway, and Jesse Stuart Elementary schools. Eating breakfast with friends in the classroom makes for a great start to a student’s day! Students may choose hot or cold items for their meal. With this option, students who arrive just before the start of school don’t have to skip breakfast. Instead, they can pick up their meal and focus on learning. Our teachers and custodial staff are important partners who make this meal option successful! Students in all schools are provided breakfast and lunch meals at no cost as part of the Community Eligibility Provision.