Washington’s School Board met for their first meeting after the start of the school year, and Superintendent Kevin Frank says the school year is off to a good start.
But while teachers and students are getting off to a good start, there is one area of disappointment. Board President Scott Arthur reported that due to supply and delivery problems on the part of a supplier in Louisville, the bleachers for Hatchet Hollow will not be installed for the first home football game next Friday. Arthur said, “I really feel sorry for the many local contractors who busted their butts all summer to have Hatchet Hollow ready for the first game, only to have some group in Louisville not live up to their end of the bargain.” But the field is playable, and pardons attending the first game are asked to bring their own chairs.
The Board also heard from Luis Santiago, who reported on a program that Purdue Extension 4H Youth Development has implemented at Washington Jr. High School. The program is called Juntos (pronounced Hoon-toes), which means together in English. The program is designed to help Hispanic students in grades 7–12 but also includes other multicultural and multiracial students and their families with the skills, knowledge, and resources to ensure students graduate from high school. The program includes five weeks of family workshop sessions, summer programming, and after-school 4H clubs for the students. Santiago said 68% of the students involved in the program have improved their attendance, and 91% have improved their grades. Santiago said parents are the key to a student’s academic success, and the program helps give them the tools to help their students.
In personnel action, the Board accepted the retirement of Deborah Frette as a school nurse and approved hiring Amberly Killion, Lisa Vendes, and Kristina Watkins as instructional assistants. The Board also approved several non-athletic ECA appointments. The Board gave permission for the Washington High School Beta Club to attend the Leadership Summit and Competition in Tennessee.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 21 at 7:00 p.m. The Board will hold a hearing on the yearly budget at noon on Sept. 17.
