HC sent a representative from its journalism class to the district board meeting on Monday, November 11. HC is the first high school in Fayette County to send someone to the meeting, which was particularly important on national, state, and local levels for many reasons such as keeping the community informed, promoting accountability, and transparency.
Lobbyist Abby Piper virtually presented Kentucky’s legislative priorities. She has over 15 years of experience and has been with FCPS for many years.
“Our legislative priorities “especially with the election, I think it’s important for our students to understand that the board of education, in addition to the work we do locally, we have to advocate at the state and national levels,” said Board Chair Tyler Murphy in an interview, “because the decisions made in Frankfort and Washington D.C. this season affect the decisions that we’re able to make.”
These legislative priorities go beyond Fayette County. They are instituted by the state of Kentucky, which brings this news to a state level.
With the election having just happened, changes will be implemented. There are nine priorities that the board will be keeping – four from the federal level, and five from the state of Kentucky. These nine priorities are student wellness, student success, teachers and staff, school choice, budget, career and technical education, special populations, technology and infrastructure, and workforce and educator pipeline.
Next, Director of Assessment Brooke Stinson, Associate Director of Student Support Services Raine Engle-Minichan, and School Chiefs Jennifer Hutchison and Nikita Reed spoke of MAP and DESSA results.All FCPS students grades K-9 take reading and math MAP testing in the fall, winter, and spring. Each student receives a score which shows their growth level at that given moment.All students’ average percentile raised 3 points in math and 2 points in reading. This significant increase makes FCPS students lifelong learners and ready for the future.
Overall, HC students should be proud of their students for achieving such growth, and changes are to be expected in schools around the county. However, the board has plenty of priorities to keep our students and staff safe.
