Incoming freshmen to receive assistance from student-created web site
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Members of the school board view a preview of a web site created by Kirsten Sharp, a Kennett High junior, to make eighth-graders feel more comfortable about entering the high school.
The Kennett Consolidated School Board delivered a mix of painful and positive news at its meeting Monday night.
In the former category, the board unanimously approved the 2013-2014 operating budget of $73,894,508, a spending plan that calls for a 2.7 percent tax hike and represents an increase of $133 for the average taxpayer.
“It’s been a tough financial year for the district,” said Michael H. Finnegan, the board treasurer. Finnegan said maintaining programs without added revenue proved impossible.
The district was able to reduce the amount of the hike by outsourcing the custodial staff and the teaching and instructional assistants, he said. Toward that end, the board voted to eliminate five positions in the custodial department and to eliminate all instructional assistants and teaching assistants. Custodial outsourcing opportunities will be reevaluated through an analysis approved by the board for use during the 2014-2015 budget process.
Kirsten Sharp, a Kennett High junior, tells the school board about a web site she created to facilitate the transition for incoming high school students.
Finnegan said real-estate revenue decreased for the fourth year in a row, a total decline of nearly $3.5 million over that time frame. “The economic crisis does not bypass the district,” he said.
The board also voted to accept the retirements of six employees who contributed a collective 131 years of experience to the district. Expressing gratitude for their service, the board approved the retirements of Andrea Dunmire, a 34-year art teacher at New Garden Elementary; Maria Guzman, a 10-year custodian at Kennett Middle School; Michael King, a special education teacher at Kennett High School for 36 years; Constance Logan, a 24-year Title III math resource for the district; Beverly Macon, a nine-year math teacher at Kennett Middle School; and Jane Stoutland, an 18-year social studies teacher at Kennett High.
Upbeat news included an award from the Association of School Business Officials that was presented to Terry McCool, the district’s manager of accounting. “It’s a team effort,” she said after the meeting. And Kennett High Principal Michael Barber received an email during the meeting that the boys’ lacrosse team had received a sportsmanship award from league officials.
The board heard more good news from Kirsten Sharp, a Kennett High junior who achieved her Girl Scout Gold Star Award by creating an informational webpage on the high school. Sharp, who received board approval in January to survey eighth-grade students about their high-school expectations, said the survey results reinforced the need for a source of information on the high school’s offerings.
For example, 90 percent of the students expressed fear about the transition to high school, and nearly half underestimated the scope of clubs and activities, Sharp said. But a whopping 87 percent said they would use a web site that provided information, which is exactly what Sharp accomplished.
Designed for incoming Kennett High students, the site includes information about the school, its extracurricular activities, and available programs. It also includes videos from some of the faculty members.
“I think it’s fantastic,” said board member Heather Schoen after Sharp presented a short preview of the site. Superintendent Barry Tomasetti added: “I think it’s going to be a very useful tool.” It can be accessed at https://live.kcsd.org/display/ virtual/Welcome+to+Kennett+ High+School.
Jennifer Lewis, executive director of Together 4 Education, a school advocacy group, told the board that the Third Annual Together Fair held at the high school two weeks ago was a success. She said about 900 people braved the sweltering weather to attend. Tomasetti, who participated in the dunk tank, said the heat made the accurate aim of participants less onerous since he got to cool off when he was submerged.
Lewis said her organization will continue to seek qualified, vetted volunteers and mentors to assist teachers in the elementary schools, where demand is outpacing resources. She said the 44 volunteers who worked this past year made a positive difference. Eventually, she said she would like to provide similar resources at the middle and high schools. “Right now, we can’t meet the need in elementary,” she said.
One effort to address the needs of younger students has excited the staff at Greenwood Elementary, which received a $60,000 grant that will fund a five-week summer school, said Principal Tracey Marino. She said the program’s daily schedule would include two meals, instruction, and some fun activities.
The board approved a request by Erin McDonnell-Jones, a Kennett High English teacher, to survey students anonymously as part of her doctoral research on participation in high school sports.
