Melissa McClendon
Locust Grove has a new head football coach. Travis Timms was hired at the March 8 school board meeting as the new head football coach. He is replacing Todd Scott. Superintendent Dave Cash said Scott’s contract was not renewed due to
budget concerns.
A new face joined the school board at the March 8 meeting. Before any business took place, Michael Stone took her oath on the board. After a reorganization of the board, Stone joins President Rick Condit; Vice President Clayton Burford; Clerk Andrew Snell and board member John Parker.
During Stone’s first meeting, the board received a college remediation and annual drop out report from High School Principal Joel Green. In the fall of 2007, three graduates had to take zero level courses in science, 10 in English, 19 in math and six in reading. Cash said the report shows him that an area of concern is math.
“The more math kids are exposed to, the better they perform,” Cash said.
He said the district will push juniors into taking an additional math class their senior year. Often students do not take a math class their senior year. Cash said this year out of 94 seniors, 15 are taking a fourth year of math. Those 15 students have an average ACT score of 21.25. Eight students are taking their fifth math class in four years. On average those eight students have a 24.5 ACT score.
The drop out rate over the last three quarters remains steady at Locust Grove. Cash said in the first quarter ending Sept. 30, 2009, three
students dropped out. That number remained the same in the second quarter ending Dec. 31, 2009. So far in the third quarter the drop out rate is at four.
In other business:
• The early retirement incentive for 2009-2010 was approved. Faculty members that announce their retirement before the April 7 deadline will receive $500 a month for 36 months.
• Bus drivers will be prohibited from texting or using cell phones while driving school buses. District personnel will have to abide by the same policy. The board approved to prohibit personnel from texting or using cell phones while operating any school owned vehicles.
• The board accepted a social networking policy. The policy prohibits members of the staff from having current students listed as “friends” on social networking sites. If a staff member needs to send out a message to a large group using email or a networking site it must be approved.
• Kerry Patton’s contract to do the district audit for the 2009-2010 school year was approved.
• The 2010-2011 school calendar was accepted. The school year will begin Aug. 25, 2010, and the last day is scheduled for May 20, 2011.
