Hillsboro Superintendent Tim Davis told the board of education Monday the 2019-20 school is off to a great start and also highlighted recent projects the school district has undertaken to get ready for the new year.
The school board also approved several supplemental contracts during the meeting including: Laura Jacky, high school/middle school vocal music director and high school musical director; Joe Jacky, high school assistant marching band and pep band director; and Jonathan Jacky, high school assistant marching band and pep band director.
Laura Jacky replaces David White, who was fired after an incident where he and some of his students helped move a smart car last spring that was blocking the path of their bus during a school field trip in Washington, D.C.
The good start to the school year began with productive work days for staff members before students reported for classes last Wednesday, Davis said, and continued with 45 high school students volunteering for drug and alcohol testing as part of a new Indian Pride Program. Davis said about 45 more students have indicated they are interested in the testing program.
The board voted 4-0 (Jerry Walker abstained) last month to enter into a contract with Great Lakes Biomedical to provide a student drug and alcohol testing program.
Davis said last month that what will be known as the Indian Pride Program is strictly voluntary. He said those in the program will need to have at least a 1.5 grade point average, no suspensions, a good attendance record, and a positive attitude.
Davis said those are some of the things the school district’s Business Advisory Council members said they are looking for when hiring new employees.
“At this point we’re not testing athletes,” Davis said last month. “This is for anybody in grades 9-12 that would like to be in the club.”
Davis said final figures showed that the district’s Tomahawk food truck summer feeding program served 25,093 meals over the summer break.
“That is unbelievable,” Davis said, adding that participation in the program has increased in each of its three years.
Davis credited food service director Jessica Walker and her staff for the program’s success, and said this year several teachers helped serve meals.
“That was something that was a real big positive for our community to see,” Davis said.
The superintendent said an old storage building behind the visitors bleachers at Richards Memorial Field has been removed and that a fence behind it encompassing the field has been repaired. He said the parking lots at the former high school site off West Main Street have been resealed, along with the driveways at the current high school and middle school.
Prep work on the school district’s new auditorium started last weekend, and three bids have been received for construction of the facility. Davis said administrators will meet with Woolpert, the project’s design firm, to go over those bids this week.
Treasurer Ben Teeters reported that the district’s general fund balance at the end of July was $7.29 million, as opposed to $6.09 million a year ago; July expenses were $2.03 million as opposed to $1.93 million a year ago; and revenue for the month was $2.89 million opposed to $2.44 million a year ago.
“We are on track with our finances just like we have been,” Teeters said.
The board approved a five-year contract with Pepsi and the replacement of Cisco phones in the high school, middle school and central office. Davis said the phones have been in use since the high school/middle school was built and that several of them can only be used when they’re on the speaker setting. He said phones at the elementary school will be replaced at a later date.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522.
