By: James Pruitt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
With the first day of school set for Sept. 6, the North Central Local School are looking forward to opening its new high school.
Superintendent Ken Boyer updated the Board of Education about the progress on the new school at the May 17 board meeting. The district is expecting to make up 10 days of lost time as the weather improves.
Complete work on the building includes having most of the windows put in, the duct work installed. The roof has been put on, so everything is drying out inside, Boyer said.
“The drywall has gone up and the primer coat has been painted,” Boyer said. “A couple of areas has the finish coat on.”
Crews will begin hanging the ceiling soon.
The district will have some cutting-edge technology with touch screens for teachers that will allow them to upload lessons from a cell phone.
There will be flat-panel TVs that will be interactive with students. Teachers will be able to email assignments to students.
The auction for the old high school begins at 5 p.m. Monday, June 6. Local real estate auctioneers will handle the proceedings. Buyers will have until Friday, June 10 to get their items out of the building.
The building will be demolished June 13 and 14, Boyer said.
When the rubble from the old building is removed, the north side of the high school will be closed, Boyer said.
“We will be in in September,” Boyer said. The first day of school is Sept. 6.
Boyer commented on the recent edict from the federal government regarding allowing transgender students access to bathrooms of the gender they identify as. Schools were informed if they did not handle the matter properly, the would be sued.
“I got the guidelines from the Department of Education and the Justice Department Monday morning,” Boyer said.
The varsity softball team received recognition for a conference title at the May 17 Board of Education meeting. The team (9-1 BBC, 14-6 overall) won the school’s first league title in softball since 1998.
Also recognized were track standouts Nathan Traxler who won the pole vault championship with a school-record vault of 12 feet.
Vada Lashaway tied the school record for the girls pole vault at 8 feet.
Junior high standouts recognized were Kailey Siebeneck (BBC Champ 400M, BBC Champ 200M hurdles and BBC runner-up 100M hurdles). Siebneck set records in the 100M hurdles (16.5 seconds) and a new record and league record in the 200M hurdles (31.4 seconds).
On the boys’ side Jack Bailey was honored for being BBC champ in the 200M hurdles and league runner-up in the high jump.
The boys 4x200M team of Bailey, Zayde VanAuken, Manuel Cruz and Gavin McEwen set a new record of 1:46.5.
The elementary school awards ceremony will May 26 with grades 1-3 at 8:15 a.m. and grades 4-6 at 9:30.
The high school anticipates having only one student in summer school this year. That’s down from 20 only a couple of years ago.
The district hired Andrew Steyer as a new high school science teacher. He has worked at Stone Laboratories previously.
Graduation is 2 p.m. May 29 in the gym.
James Pruitt may be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
