The Shadow
HOT SPRINGS — Phase 2 of a door locks and security project at Bath County elementary schools tops the Bath County School Board’s capital projects requests for fiscal years 2020-21 through 2024-25.
The school board prioritized and approved its Capital Improvement Plan during the regular December meeting Tuesday night at Valley Elementary School.
Phase 1 of the Millboro Elementary School and Valley door locks project was completed two years ago. Phase 2 is expected to cost approximately $50,000.
Also included in Capital Improvement Plan requests is $600,000 for lighting at the Bath County High School baseball and softball fields, paving the bus loop at MES and the upper parking lot at VES, $77,000; and an estimated $121,000 for fuel tank replacement at BCHS.
The school board added upgrades to the lighting at the BCHS football field to its capital improvements list. A cost for this project was not available.
Lighting to the BCHS softball field and baseball field will dovetail with a project already approved for other improvements to the BCHS baseball field.
“Every other place we go has lighting,” school board member Cathy Lowry said. “You just don’t want anybody getting hurt. You want our athletes to be as safe as possible.”
In considering the Capital Improvement Plan, the school board resolved to remove installation of an emergency generator at MES from consideration.
The generator carried a price tag of $220,000.
“That is a county priority, not a schools priority,” Lowry said. “That should not be the responsibility of the school system.”
The school board adopted the Capital Improvement Plan by a vote of 4-1 with Eddie Ryder dissenting. Ryder said he preferred to adopt the plan as it was presented.
“I’m not voting to change anything from what’s on here now,” he said. Right now, I’m voting for it like it is. I’m not voting for any changes.”
The school board’s Capital Improvement Plan is due by Jan. 6, 2020. The minimum threshold for a requested project is $50,000.
Also Tuesday night, the school board approved a 10-point grading scale for students in grades 2-12, beginning with the 2020-21 school year.
Superintendent Sue Hirsh explained that a parent meeting held Nov. 12 and a presentation titled “Leveling the Playing Field” included the results of a survey of staff at each school “overwhelmingly favoring” the 10-point grading scale.
“One change under promotion and retention changes the 70 percent to 60 percent to be consistent with the 10-point grading scale,” Hirsh said.
The school board started discussions of the 10-point grading scale last year, but the proposal was tabled for further evaluation.
“I am going to recommend to you that this grading scale be adopted, incorporated in the regulation and that you waive your second reading and adopt this revision tonight,” Hirsh said.
The 10-point grading scale was adopted by a vote of 5-0.
In other business Tuesday night, the Bath County School Board:
— during its Focus on Schools portion of the agenda, entertained a presentation from Katie Mihaly, VES school counselor, on various STEAM activities recently accomplished by students;
— entertained reports on the Virginia School Boards Association convention held Nov. 20-22 in Williamsburg from Hirsh and school board member Roy Burns. Also attending the convention was incoming board member Zach Burns;
— approved the appointments of Jan Lee at MES and Shannon Waldeck at VES as gifted coordinators for the elementary schools.
