BEDFORD – The North Lawrence Community School Board met in a regular meeting Thursday evening to discuss updates in the school corporation.
A request for the purchase and installation of BNL Access points and District Battery Backups from Matrix Integration and the adoption of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) Math for K-5 curriculum was approved by the board.
The approval of appointment to the Bedford Redevelopment Commission of Tracy Bailey was accepted by the board, as well as an out-of-state field trip for the FFA/Ag Program to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the Western Kentucky University Field Day.
The board then moved on to discuss the consolidation of Oolitic Middle School, which has not been well received by families since it was originally discussed in a January work session and the February 22nd regular meeting.
Superintendent Dr. Ty Mungle addressed the board on the research behind the proposed consolidation, as well as the opportunities to allow students in NLCS to have the best opportunity to attend the electives and extracurricular activities that would be provided at Bedford Middle School.
“The goal of NLCS has been to provide each student the best opportunity in each school, starting in elementary school,” said Dr. Mungle. “The proposal to consolidate OMS would allow Junior High School, aged students, in the NLCS School Corporation the best chance at taking the classes that aren’t readily available at OMS, due to a lack of students in each activity and a lack of teachers. This move is, and has been about the students.”
A motion was made to consolidate Oolitic Middle School and seconded. The motion was then voted on and denied in a 5-2 vote leaving Oolitic Middle School open for the 2022-2023 school year.
Christy Wintczak then provided personnel changes within NLCS by highlighting four major retirements from the School Corporation including:
- Leisa Deckard – Retiring as NLCS Instructor effective at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year after 29 years of service with NLCS
- William Deckard – Retiring as NLCS Instructor effective at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year after 36 years of service with NLCS
- Cheryl Gross – Retiring as NLCS SLP effective at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year after 31 years of service
- Mark Ryan – Retiring as NLCS Instructor effective at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year after 29 years of service with NLCS
