Blevins School Board

The Blevins School Board met in a classroom in the Fine Arts Building on Monday (1-8). The meeting started with a prayer and the pledge of allegiance. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved. Next, the budget was discussed with attention to a shortfall in the cafeteria food fund. Food costs are high and there may be too many personnel so there may need to be some shifting. Students who are eligible for free/reduced meals who don’t use the service hurts the school. Also, there is the need to make sure the inventory is used up rather than stockpiled.  For negative figures in the budget the district must accumulate debt and then get reimbursed.  There was a motion to accept the financials which was seconded and passed.

The calendar will be revisited in February.

The winter school board policy revisions were reviewed, there was a motion to accept which was seconded and passed.

The required school board training hours were discussed as well as enrollment numbers and disciplinary issues. Although the enrollment numbers were down seven students, there are 8 or 9 gained who are not yet entered in the numbers.

The top three infractions in the elementary school included fighting, hitting, and students not keeping their hands to themselves.  Another was disorderly conduct which was talking in class or being disruptive during class. The last one was insubordination.

For the high school, the issues were fights, vaping and drugs. Only one of the 12 fights was a full-blown fight that needed to be broken up. In general, it was pushing and shoving during transitions such as before and after school and lunchtime.

The use of a metal wand to detect vaping was discussed.

There were six incidents of drug use.

While the Elementary School has a rating of F it is only a couple of points away from a D and can be improved by consistency and the improvement of attendance, issues which are a big part of the ranking. The High School has a ranking of C.

For Science results, the eighth grade js the lowest at 23% at the cutoff and 30% within 10 points while the 5th grade is the highest at 45% within the cutoff and 75% within 10 points.

For academic achievement: in K-2 interventions 31% of the students moved up to a more advanced skill group in a two week period.

The club attendance is FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) 30, Sr. BETA (National Beta Club) 45, FFA (Future Farmers of America) 15, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) 13, and Jr. BETA 14.

Three students are enrolled in CTE courses at UAHT, 28 students are enrolled in 95 different concurrent courses. The entire senior class is signed up with the Hempstead Guarantee in which the first year of college is free.

The Bailey Group (a consulting group) was on campus on January 8th and NIET (National Institute for Excellence in Teaching) will be on campus on January 31st and February 22nd.

There will be Valentine’s Parties from 2:30-3:30 on February 14th.

The meeting then adjourned.