School Week

Dear Editor, Recently, I was concerned that the Lincoln County School Board couldn't or wouldn't provide any data to explain or back up their decision to change our school calender. Because of this, I decided to look up information myself on the Internet. Ever thing I found has one thing in common: Going to a 4-day week is always done for financial reasons. Studies show no increase or decrease in test scores. However, Orofino school district in Idaho, which uses a 4-day week schedule year round, saved $143,700 per year.

STANFORD - Lincoln County Schools will host a forum tonight giving citizens a chance to offer input about a modified calendar for the 2009-2010 school year that would make many weeks four days long and extend daily instruction time by 30 minutes. The major difference in the proposed calendar is that there will be 165 six-and-a-half-hour days instead of 177 six-hour days. During most months after August, there will be no school for students every other Monday. Most of these days will be staff work days.

BURGIN - At Wednesday's Burgin Board of Education meeting, the board marked an end to what Chairman Bob Clark referred to as "another successful year. " "We were managed very successfully, and our team works very well," Clark said. "I'm very comfortable with that, and it's apparent in the confidence we have in our executive officers. " The meeting celebrated achievements and a positive fiscal stance including Superintendent Dick Webb's announcement the school system had an estimated $1,113,186 in the bank, as well as the fact he overestimated the year's carry-over by upwards of $50,000.

By Michael Broihier "It's not about saving money, it's about improving instruction," said Superin-tendent Larry Woods about a proposal to shorten the school week for students to four days. The public is invited to attend an open forum to discuss a proposed four-day school schedule tonight at the Lincoln County Board of Education starting at 5 p.m. "I am very interested in hearing what the public has to say," Woods said. "No one in the state really has a four-day school week," said Lincoln County Director of Pupil Personnel Bruce Smith, explaining that while students would only attend school Tuesday through Friday, teachers and many classified employees would continue to work five days a week under the proposal.

A revamped procedure adopted by the Jessamine County Board of Education will put a limit on how many times athletic teams can travel on school nights. The board discussed the issue during Monday night's regular meeting. "We hear from time-to-time that athletes have such a grueling schedule, and that on school nights, they might find themselves in Louisville or Morehead in an optional game that the coach has scheduled," Superintendent Lu Young said. "It's part of the regular season, granted, but it's on a school night, and not even a Thursday night.

By Michael Broihier Tuesday night the school board precipitously voted for a modified four-day school week calendar that has so little to offer that the friction the plan generates dwarfs projected benefits. With legislation pending that will fundamentally change state rules regarding school calendars, and the short period of time parents and employees had to prepare comment on the change, makes one ask, "What's the rush?" As written, the plan will significantly reduce the number of substitute teacher days, and there will be fewer bus miles driven, but any additional benefits are difficult to project.

Although it wasn't Christmastime, Pam Hart, the school district's new secondary instructional supervisor, told the Lincoln County School Board Thursday that she had "good tidings of great joy. " Her good news: The Lincoln County School District has met the federal government's No Child Left Behind Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) goals for 2007. The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to provide information on schools' and districts' progress toward proficiency by 2014. Districts and individual schools that don't make adequate progress are assessed in tiers with increasingly serious consequences based on how many years they fail to progress.

By Michael Broihier Tuesday night the Lincoln County Board of Education voted to implement a modified four-day school week for the district, and cleared the way for the high school to make major changes in the way the high school schedules classes. The board voted 3-2 for overhauling the school calendar despite input from both teachers and parents that ran largely against the plan. Tom Blankenship and Eddie Whittemore were the dissenting votes against the plan proposed by Tim Jackson and seconded by Denny Hogue.

To highlight the availability of the School Breakfast Program, Clark County Public Schools participated in the National School Breakfast Week campaign. Every school day the CCPS  breakfast program offers students the healthy foods they need to be prepared for a busy school day. Every school breakfast served meets federal nutrition standards limiting fat and portion size. During the “School Breakfast - Go for Gold” campaign, cafeterias offered fun activity sheets to help students warm up their brains.

BOWLING GREEN — Hundreds of groups nationwide will celebrate the benefits of educational freedom this week (Jan. 23-29) as part of National School Choice Week. Unfortunately, there’s not much to celebrate in Kentucky, one of only a handful of states without public charter schools. So far, the bosses who run the teachers unions have succeeded in strangling efforts by parents and conscientious legislators to secure for Kentucky parents the freedom to send their children to the public school that best fits their individual needs.

Dear Editor, Recently, I was concerned that the Lincoln County School Board couldn't or wouldn't provide any data to explain or back up their decision to change our school calender. Because of this, I decided to look up information myself on the Internet. Ever thing I found has one thing in common: Going to a 4-day week is always done for financial reasons. Studies show no increase or decrease in test scores. However, Orofino school district in Idaho, which uses a 4-day week schedule year round, saved $143,700 per year.

By Michael Broihier Tuesday night the school board precipitously voted for a modified four-day school week calendar that has so little to offer that the friction the plan generates dwarfs projected benefits. With legislation pending that will fundamentally change state rules regarding school calendars, and the short period of time parents and employees had to prepare comment on the change, makes one ask, "What's the rush?" As written, the plan will significantly reduce the number of substitute teacher days, and there will be fewer bus miles driven, but any additional benefits are difficult to project.

By Michael Broihier Tuesday night the Lincoln County Board of Education voted to implement a modified four-day school week for the district, and cleared the way for the high school to make major changes in the way the high school schedules classes. The board voted 3-2 for overhauling the school calendar despite input from both teachers and parents that ran largely against the plan. Tom Blankenship and Eddie Whittemore were the dissenting votes against the plan proposed by Tim Jackson and seconded by Denny Hogue.

STANFORD - Lincoln County Schools will host a forum tonight giving citizens a chance to offer input about a modified calendar for the 2009-2010 school year that would make many weeks four days long and extend daily instruction time by 30 minutes. The major difference in the proposed calendar is that there will be 165 six-and-a-half-hour days instead of 177 six-hour days. During most months after August, there will be no school for students every other Monday. Most of these days will be staff work days.

By Michael Broihier "It's not about saving money, it's about improving instruction," said Superin-tendent Larry Woods about a proposal to shorten the school week for students to four days. The public is invited to attend an open forum to discuss a proposed four-day school schedule tonight at the Lincoln County Board of Education starting at 5 p.m. "I am very interested in hearing what the public has to say," Woods said. "No one in the state really has a four-day school week," said Lincoln County Director of Pupil Personnel Bruce Smith, explaining that while students would only attend school Tuesday through Friday, teachers and many classified employees would continue to work five days a week under the proposal.

Clark Middle School students and staff recently celebrated School Spirit Week. Each day brought a new challenge on what to wear. The last day of the week was "Dress as your favorite book character. " Even the teachers entered into the fun. Amy Downey , Brad Gullett, Cara Rocchi, left photo, are shown in their costumes. In the center is Megan Swart, and at right is Theda Kearney.

Although it wasn't Christmastime, Pam Hart, the school district's new secondary instructional supervisor, told the Lincoln County School Board Thursday that she had "good tidings of great joy. " Her good news: The Lincoln County School District has met the federal government's No Child Left Behind Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) goals for 2007. The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to provide information on schools' and districts' progress toward proficiency by 2014. Districts and individual schools that don't make adequate progress are assessed in tiers with increasingly serious consequences based on how many years they fail to progress.