Building community trust and involvement in the Fayette County Public Schools plays a crucial role in becoming a world-class district that educates all children at the highest levels. 

In an effort to inform our community and employees about the issues facing FCPS and keep constituents up to date on actions taken by the Board of Education, we are pleased to provide a summary of our school board meetings.

Board meeting agendas and minutes are also available on the school district Web site. Board meetings are televised live on Channel 13 and replayed the same week at 2 p.m. Tuesday, 8 p.m. Wednesday and 2 p.m. Saturday.

A summary of the April 27, 2009, meeting of the Fayette County Board of Education:

1.   The board welcomed the evening’s student representative, Justin-Joseph Simpao of Henry Clay High School. He is student body president and a member of the Go Green Club and Amnesty International, among other activities.

2.   As part of the district’s 2020 Vision Initiative, each board meeting begins with a student performance to showcase the high quality art and music instruction in Fayette County and spotlight talented young people in the district. On April 27, the board welcomed the Northern Knight Chorus, a group of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders from Northern Elementary, who sang “Music is Always There” by Teresa Jennings, “Spirits” by Douglas Beam and “We’re All in this Together” from Disney’s High School Musical.

HEAR the children singing.

In addition, SCAPA eighth-grader Macy Early performed her award-winning rendition of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death” speech.

HEAR Macy’s stirring performance.

3.   The board recognized students and employees for recent state and national achievements:

a.  Zachary Wheat, a kindergartner at Squires Elementary, who won the “Kentucky Proud” poster and essay contest;

b.  A Destination ImagiNation state champion team from SCAPA as well as high-performing students from Athens-Chilesburg Elementary;

c.  Champion Governor’s Cup teams from Meadowthorpe Elementary and Paul Laurence Dunbar High, along with kids from Dixie Elementary, Athens-Chilesburg Elementary, Rosa Parks Elementary, Winburn Middle School, LTMS and Henry Clay High;

d.  Macy Early, an eighth-grader from SCAPA, winner of the state Shakespeare Monologue Competition (Junior Division);

e.  Kentucky High School Speech League tournament winners from SCAPA Bluegrass as well as competitors from Morton Middle School and Paul Laurence Dunbar High;

f.  The Lafayette Madrigal Singers for their win in the Margaret Comstock Chamber Choir Competition;

g.  Kentucky Technology Student Association’s state contest winners from Southern Middle, Lafayette High, Paul Laurence Dunbar High and Tates Creek High;

h.  Henry Clay High students for their wins at the Kentucky United Nations Assembly;

i.  Zach Shinall, a junior at Lafayette, who qualified for the Catholic Grand National Speech and Debate Tournament;

j.  MacCauley Chamber Music Competition winners: Michael Hustedde, Jonathan Karp, David Takahashi from Lafayette High and Brandon Fightmaster from Henry Clay High;

k.  The Key Club at Bryan Station High for awards received at the Kentucky/Tennessee District Convention;

l.  Carey Parsons, a senior at Lafayette High, who placed second in a statewide drama monologue competition;

m.  Lilian Rogers, a senior at Henry Clay High, who has advanced to the National Forensic League’s grand nationals;

n.  Tresine Logsdon, a biology teacher at Henry Clay High, who was selected by the Southern Regional Education Board as Kentucky’s top online instructor.

4.   Board members read proclamations for School Library Media Month, Occupational Therapy Month and Teacher Appreciation Week.

5.   Lansdowne Elementary teacher Michelle Lee and a handful of fourth-graders demonstrated their new science blog. Lee said the interactive tool enables her to give students immediate feedback as they work online at home or in the school’s computer lab. Board members asked the children a few questions about how their blog works, and Superintendent Stu Silberman praised Lansdowne’s efforts. “This is a wonderful model for us in using technology to increase learning in the classroom,” he said.

6.   Chief operating officer Mary Wright delivered the monthly construction report, including updates on projects at Cassidy, Russell Cave and Arlington elementaries, Bryan Station and Leestown middle schools, the Lafayette High stadium and the new central bus garage. See the PowerPoint presentation.

7.   The board voted to:

a.  Begin the development and installation of a rain garden at Henry Clay High School, using money from grants and student fundraising.

b.  Award the construction bid for the renovation of Leestown Middle School to D.W. Wilburn Inc., the low bidder at slightly more than $11.1 million. With multiple bidders and competitive pricing, the project actually came in well under the estimated construction cost of $15 million. The total project budget was revised to $13.7 million from the anticipated budget of $18.3 million.

c.  Award the construction bid for the renovation and construction necessary to retrofit buildings at 780 Miles Point Way to become a new bus garage for the district. The roughly $2.8 million contract will be with James R. Leake & Sons Inc.

d.  Take the next steps to move forward with the construction of an elementary school on Keithshire Way and the replacement of the roof at Veterans Park Elementary.

e.  Confirm the 2009 graduation dates and the host site as Rupp Arena:

June 4: Paul Laurence Dunbar at 4 p.m. and Tates Creek at 7 p.m.;

June 5: Bryan Station at 1 p.m., Lafayette at 4 p.m. and Henry Clay at 7 p.m.