Hope School Board Meeting
By Staff, 02/21/17 1:28 AMHOPE – The Hope Public Schools Board Meeting met Monday night for their regular session.
The Board heard first from Cirriculum Coordinator Portia Jones. She talked about scores from the first quarter to the second quarter, and noted that the District hopes to finds the reasons for any declines in achievement. She also went over discipline referrals and absences at each campus. She included teachers’ absences as well as those of students.
The Board recognized Mika Brown for winning the Hempstead County Spelling Bee for her third year in a row. Brown and her parents were at the meeting. She attends the Hope Academy of Public Service.
Renee Sells, District Nurse, gave a presentation on efforts to secure a grant for a School-Based Health Center. Ms Sells introduced her staff and noted that Assistant Superintendent Ira Love and HHS Asdistant Principal Michael Radebaugh also serve on her committee. She stated that the grant is funded by tobacco taxes. She noted should the district get the grant, the first year the district would get $150,000 and the amount will decrease every year down to the fifth year, when the amount funded will be $75,009. The nearest School-Based Health Centers to Hope are in Polk County, Clark County and Union County. The Board asked questions of Ms. Sells and Gretchen Carlton. The Board then chose Linda Haynes to represent the Board with the group seeking the grant.
The Board then heard from Carla Narleski on school improvement reports. These were 45-day reports that are also submitted to the state.
As far as the Superintendent’s Report, Me. Hart noted the district is working to get fresh food from local growers. The district is getting fresh vegetables from a farm in Texarkana. Mr. Hart noted the district appears to have lost a few students with the current count (but not the final count for the quarter) at 2,283. Mr Hart said the biggest losses were to homeschooling. He noted that if the numbers hold, they will result in a significant loss of state funds.
The Board then discussed the Hope Academy of Public Service and the High School transition. Mr. Hart has suggested that HAPS students go to ninth grade to an “academy within an academy” at the high school. Hart said the school does not have approval from the state on their options. Board member Denny Dickinson proposed sending a list of the options to the HAPS parents before a decision is made. The proposal was made in the form of a motion, and it was passed.
The Board also discussed facilities rentals and personnel before adjourning.
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