Where we’re going in the new school year

In my experience as an educator and now as your superintendent, I wanted to share a powerful metaphor for teamwork that was taught to me years ago. This was shared from my husband’s papaw, Bennie Warren, as he freely solicited marriage advice to a newly married couple. It is the image of a mule team pulling together. He talked about the power that is created when you can get a mule team to work together and then related it to the power a couple, becoming one, can do when they truly work together. Taking his wise advice, this metaphor beautifully illustrates the core values that will also drive a successful school district: cooperation, dedication, and the strength that comes from working as a cohesive unit.

Mules are known for their hardiness and resilience. They are sturdy animals, capable of handling tough terrain and carrying heavy loads. However, the real magic happens when they work together as a team. Just like a well-coordinated mule team, a school district thrives when everyone—students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members—pulls in the same direction.

A mule team must communicate effectively to function well. The mules must trust each other to navigate the path ahead. Similarly, in our school district, open communication and trust are crucial. As your superintendent, I am committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels heard and valued. This means actively listening to feedback, being transparent in our decision-making processes, and building trust through consistent and honest communication.

Just as a mule team moves forward by working in unison, our school district can achieve great things by aligning our goals and efforts. Whether it's striving for academic excellence, creating safe and inclusive learning environments, or engaging with our community, our combined efforts will propel us toward success.

As we continue this journey, I encourage each of you to think about how you can contribute to our collective effort. Just like a mule team, our strength lies in our unity. Together, we can overcome obstacles, achieve our goals, and ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

As I step into the role of superintendent for LaRue County Schools, I am filled with a deep sense of responsibility and excitement. It is an honor to serve such a vibrant and supportive community, and I am committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.

Let's keep pulling together, moving forward as one team, and making this school year the best it can be.

Thank you for your commitment and dedication to our own LaRue County Schools.

Superintendent’s Message Regarding State Assessment Results

Kentucky public schools are filled with some of the best people in the entire Commonwealth and that is especially true for our Hawk Family here in LaRue County. After 34 years in the education field, I’m even more passionate today than I was when I first stood in front of a classroom full of kids as a middle school Health & PE teacher. The reason why? For me, it’s all about connection.

Making connection a top priority with our students, staff, and our community gives us the culture we need to ensure all stakeholders are working together to ensure every child receives the opportunities they need to succeed. In that journey towards success are benchmarks which measure parts of how we are doing on that path. One of those benchmarks is a newly updated system from the Kentucky Department of Education named the Kentucky Summative Assessments (KSA), formerly called K-PREP.

Perhaps one of the most important points to note on the new testing model is that it is different enough from 2019 testing (called the Star Rating system) and the 2021 testing when students took a much shorter test and not all students tested because of the pandemic. Keeping that in mind, these test results cannot be compared to previous tests even as recently as 2021. It is a different test with different measurements.

With all that being said, I am proud to announce that LaRue County Schools performed above the state average overall. LaRue County students, compared to other districts with more resources, receive instruction and educational experiences that is of incredible value. While there is room for improvement in our assessments, it is certainly a moment worth pausing to celebrate. An opportunity to acknowledge the grit and resilience demonstrated by our students, families, and staff to perform at an exemplary level, regardless of the circumstances. A true display of care, connection and collaboration.

The KSA provides us the opportunity to determine a baseline, examine the data, and adjust for improvement. Our principals, teachers, and staff have already begun the process of analyzing the assessment data to create plans to improve teaching and learning. With that in mind, I’m reminded yet again of my passion for meeting the multiple needs of every child. Education isn’t just about instruction - it’s about creating a future-driven school system focused on the whole child, where no learner is ever marginalized.

It’s a great day to be a Hawk!

The Power of Our Hawk Family

As I reflect on this past school year, it's hard to fathom just how much we have endured and how far we have come since August. We entered summer break at the end of the 2020-21 school year with optimism and hope that the pandemic was over and we could begin the new school year with a sense of normalcy. Incidence rates were down and confidence rates were high.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 was not ready to relinquish control just yet, and continued to cause chaos for our schools in the form of the Delta and Omicron variants. As a result, we were forced to begin the 2021-22 school year in similar fashion to the way the prior year ended. This was disheartening, to say the least.

While we resumed school with the implementation of universal masking, physical distancing, and other mitigation strategies to keep students and staff safe, we vowed to make in-person instruction a priority.

We knew our students struggled academically, socially, and emotionally the previous year from the unusual amount of non-traditional instruction days. Therefore, our goal was to keep our students in school for in-person learning as much as possible throughout the remainder of the pandemic. Even though COVID numbers in the community and across the state got unbelievably high, we stayed the course.

I am proud to report, through the collaborative work of others, our students were able to attend the entire school year in person without missing any days due to the pandemic! This incredible feat could not have been accomplished without the collective effort from our entire school community.

To begin, credit goes to our students for their commitment to being in school on a daily basis. Parents and families deserve praise for getting their children to school, and communicating with teachers and staff to support student needs at home. Our teachers, counselors, instructional assistants, and other school staff warrant recognition for connecting and communicating with students and families to ensure academic, social, and emotional needs were being met, so students felt safe at school. Our custodians sanitized classrooms and facilities regularly to keep learning environments cleaned and well-maintained for student safety. Likewise, bus drivers and monitors sanitized buses before and after every route to keep buses clean for their riders. The food service staff at each school ensured students had daily nutritional meals to help them remain well-nourished and healthy. Last but not least, our school nurses went above and beyond the call of duty to provide COVID testing, aid in contact tracing, and to keep students well so they could remain in school.

Margaret Mead, renown anthropologist, was quoted as saying, “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” We could not have accomplished our goal of providing 100% in-person instruction for the entire school year without the commitment from the group of people mentioned previously. They have no idea the difference they have made in the lives of some children. Being in school allowed students to make gains in academic areas they may have fallen behind in the previous year. Children were able to be with their friends and build much needed social skills. Students were able to make connections with teachers and staff, and had access to face-to-face support. These are only a few of the many benefits our students experienced by having access to in-person instruction on a regular basis.

While this has been a long school year, it has been a rewarding one. Our students, families, and staff have endured much, but have also demonstrated extraordinary resiliency. We’ve learned just how much we need each other to make this thing called education to work, and by coming together, there is nothing we can’t accomplish for our children. As we close out this unique year, I want our students, families, staff, and community to know how much I appreciate you for all you do in your respective roles. If I could alter a few words of Margaret Mead’s quote, it would go something like this, “Never underestimate the power of our Hawk Family to change the life of a child. They do it on a daily basis.” It’s a great day to be a Hawk! Have a wonderful summer!

Superintendent Letter to Families

Hello Hawk Families!

Even though the new school year did not begin with the normalcy we had all envisioned, it has been great having students back to in-person learning. Like every other school district in the state, we are experiencing just how transmissible this delta variant can be, making it a challenge to keep students in school and out of quarantine or isolation. While teachers and staff work diligently to keep your children healthy and safe each day, I realize the frustration you must feel and questions you might have regarding the district’s decision-making. This is understandable because the decisions we are currently making do not correlate with the decisions we made last year when active cases and incidence rates were much lower than they are now.

Even though we are still in a pandemic, school districts across the state do not have the same supports in place as last year. For instance, last school year, because of the pandemic, we had access to unlimited NTI days. As a result of HB 208 that passed during the 2021 legislative session, this year, we are limited to only 10 days. With the flu season still ahead along with the possibility of inclement weather that could result in school closures, we need to be judicious and intentional with those days since we don’t have very many. 

The way current state regulations are written, if a single classroom or school were to experience a high number of positive cases or quarantines, we would not be permitted to move only that school or classroom to NTI (virtual learning). To use those NTI days, we would be forced to move the entire district to virtual learning, even though all schools may not be currently impacted. 

After conferring with my team, we determined virtual learning is not currently in the best interest of elementary students and their families. For that reason, we have held off on moving the entire district to NTI.

In the winter, we were able to return to in-person learning using an alternating-day schedule we referred to as A/B or blue/white schedule. If given the opportunity, this hybrid learning model is what we would be using currently district-wide. It would reduce the number of students in schools each day, which in turn would reduce the number of close contacts, resulting in fewer students being quarantined, and would enable students to remain in school for in-person learning. Unfortunately, the way current regulations are written, we were not able to move forward with this type of hybrid schedule.

Some may be wondering how we are impacted financially by remaining in school even though so many students are out due to the COVID virus. Because our funding is determined by average daily attendance (ADA), under normal circumstances, if we were to experience a similar number of absences during the school year, for the flu or some other illness, we would need to shut down until students were well enough to attend. If not, attendance would be extremely low on these days, hurting the district’s ADA calculation for the school year. Due to emergency regulation 702 KAR 7.125E, issued by the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE), we can receive average daily attendance for our students who either test positive or are quarantined as we are providing student work/support while they are out. This is important because we continue to receive funding for the large number of students that are absent for isolation and quarantine. If we were not getting funded for them, we would have to cancel school and make up the days.  

In regards to why students are still required to wear masks after the governor canceled his Executive Order, the answer is simple: Emergency regulation 702 KAR 1:195E, approved by the Kentucky Board of Education August 12, requires that all individuals, including students, school employees, contractors, and visitors wear a face covering that covers both the mouth and nose while inside school facilities. As with all regulations, this carries with it the force of law, and our local Board of Education has no choice but to abide.

I have also been asked on numerous occasions about how high COVID numbers need to get before I would consider closing schools. Based on discussions I have had with the Lincoln Trail District Health Department, there are currently no metrics in place to determine the optimal time to close schools to in-person learning. I was told we can use the matrix from last year, but that guidance just tells us to return to NTI days should the incidence rate reach the critical category (25 cases per 100 thousand people). As stated previously, we do not have access to unlimited NTI days, so we could only afford one district-wide closure. Also, in regards to a ten-day NTI shutdown, we do not believe a short-term closure would be beneficial at this point during this delta variant wave. Active cases continue to increase and we have no idea when they will peak. A ten-day closure would certainly reduce the number of close contacts and allow those students already being quarantined to return, but the cycle would only begin again after students returned. Then we would be out of NTI days and forced to close schools with the expectation of adding these days at the end of our calendar.

In closing, if you have not already been vaccinated, I urge you to consider doing so. Having all eligible staff, students, parents, and community members fully vaccinated is our best chance at getting back to full in-person learning, while reducing the chances for additional school closures. If you would like to make an appointment for a free vaccine, please call our Healthy Kids Clinic at (844)435-0900 and one of our school nurses will be happy to assist you. 

I hope this letter answers questions you may have and sheds some light on why we are proceeding the way we are. Having similar flexibility in making decisions regarding school closures during this pandemic will require additional legislative action. Until that time, our current course of action is our only course of action. Should you still have questions, please feel free to call me at (270)358-4111 or email me at david.raleigh@larue.kyschools.us.

Thank you,

David Raleigh,
Superintendent

LaRue County Schools Taking A Whole Child Approach Following The Pandemic

Author, Roy T. Bennett once wrote, “Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end.”

With this thought in mind, following the close of the 2020-21 school year, our LaRue County Schools leadership team immediately turned our attention to using what we learned from the pandemic over the previous fifteen months to create a stronger school district for our children and community. 

It didn’t take long, once we moved to non-traditional instruction days (NTI), to witness the impact of not being able to attend school in person had on our students. By nature, children are social creatures, and thrive off connectivity and relationships with others. While virtual learning provided access to instruction during the pandemic, it did very little to meet the social and emotional needs of our students. As we return to in-person learning, it has become part of our vision to focus on the whole child. 

According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the whole child approach means that each student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. This goes beyond academic success and test scores. A whole child approach operates on the basis that students' education and life outcomes are dependent upon their access to deeper learning opportunities in and out of school, as well as their school environment and relationships.

As a result, the LaRue County School system will be committed to the social, emotional, cognitive, and mental health needs of all students. That doesn’t mean we will lower our academic standards for what we expect students to know and be able to do. It just means we are shifting to a broader view of the skills and knowledge our children must develop for long-term success, in school and beyond.

To help us achieve our vision, this year, we will begin a partnership with the University of Kentucky Center for Next Generation Leadership to help create an action plan that will allow us to implement deeper personalized learning practices in our schools. This work is closely aligned with our strategic plan, and will ensure a successful transition of our students throughout their educational career into life after high school, while also meeting the needs of the whole learner.

Work Ethic Certification

Work ethic certification remains a priority for all LaRue County School students

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook 2020 survey, 80.4% of hiring managers indicated that new hires entering the work force should be able to demonstrate a strong work ethic. The only attributes scoring higher on the survey were problem-solving skills (91.2%) and the ability to work as a team (86.3%).

From kindergartners to high school seniors, LaRue County Schools students have an opportunity to develop and be recognized for their work ethic. The district implements the Work Ethic Certification program to further prepare students for successful transitions to work and education after high school. “This is all about helping our students develop the habits that lead to success,” said Amanda Reed, Assistant Superintendent for Student Achievement. “We want all students to learn personal attributes like dependability and working well within a team.”

In addition, the program is designed to improve attendance, grades and students’ involvement in school, the community or the workforce. Students who complete the voluntary criteria each year will be recognized. Graduating seniors will earn special seals on their diplomas.

Work ethic education is now required in all Kentucky public schools, and districts may determine most of their own criteria. The LCS program criteria are as follows:

• For all grades - 96 percent attendance rate with no more than the equivalent of seven excused or unexcused absences. No severe discipline events and no more than two less severe discipline events. (Attendance criteria has been waived for 20-21 school year due to Covid-19)

• For third through 12th grade – A minimum C average with no failures.

• All students receive essential workplace ethics instruction embedded in their school coursework including adaptability, diligence, initiative, knowledge, reliability, remaining drug free and working well with others.

• For Elementary students, complete two hours (kindergarten – second grade) or four hours (third-fifth grade) of community service by helping an agency, neighborhood or an individual outside your home. 

• For middle and high school students, participate in two of the following activities: School or community sport, school or community extracurricular activity, work-based learning experience, or six community service (6 hours for middle and 10 hours for high).

Work Ethic Certification allows us to be more intentional about teaching the essential skills that employers tell us they need most. We know this program will be a win for our students, our local businesses and our overall community. Even though our Work Ethic Certification program is relatively new and was interrupted by a pandemic, we still had 271 students earn the certification this past school year; 117 elementary students, 56 middle school students, and 98 high school students. 

Of the 98 LCHS students earning Work Ethic Certification, 20 were graduating seniors from the class of 2021. As they walk across the graduation stage Friday evening, the following students will receive a diploma with a distinctive seal signifying this exclusive accomplishment:

Michael Chapman Lauren Makuakane
Katelyn Eads Mary Beth Mattingly
Nicole Fantasia Evan Morris
Delaney Frye Isaiah Pruitt
Abi Gibson Preston Self
Emma Grimes Amya Stillwell
Olivia Hazelwood Ethan Tharp
Kayla Highbaugh Shianne Thompson
Thomas Hoppes Isabella Thurman
Graham Kinzel Biven Turner

While we are extremely proud of those attaining this special honor, we anticipate the numbers growing over the next few years as we continue to integrate the work ethic criteria throughout our transitional readiness plan.

LaRue County Schools support staff go the extra mile during the pandemic

Each year, the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA) awards its prestigious Fred Award to one individual of many deserving nominees from school districts across the state. The Fred Award is inspired by well-known author Mark Sanborn; the award is named in honor of Fred Shea, the subject of Sanborn's national bestseller, The Fred Factor. 

For the past two years, LaRue County Schools has participated in this process, submitting the name of one district winner from all the classified (support) staff representing each of our schools and departments. The overall winner demonstrates a trademark spirit of service, innovation, and commitment to others in a way that positively impacts the lives of those in our school community. You may recall, the late Melvin Bell, former Hodgenville Elementary School custodian, was last year’s KASA Fred Award Winner.

There are 169 people working behind the scenes each day to ensure our district operates at an optimal level while still meeting our students’ various needs. Teachers and administrators could not do their jobs successfully without the support from our classified staff. These folks represent attendance clerks, office clerks, school administration managers (SAM), Family Youth Resource Youth Service Center (FRYSC) coordinators, food service workers, custodians, instructional assistants, school bus drivers, school bus monitors, technology workers, buildings & grounds Maintenance, transportation maintenance, school nurses, and central office staff.

Under normal circumstances, due to all the deserving support staff we have to choose from, it is difficult to select just one winner. During a year where we’ve had to navigate a pandemic, the selection process became even more challenging. The pandemic brought out the best in these employees. During NTI days, while teachers and students worked virtually, many support staff continued to show up to work in person, performing various duties not typically included in their daily roles and responsibilities. Never complaining, they were always willing to do whatever was needed in our schools and students’ best interest.

It is impossible to recognize all the accomplishments demonstrated by all these fine people. Some are visible to the public, while others have gone unnoticed. For instance, some may have seen the new lighted hawk head emblem on the LCHS gym’s exterior. This was designed, built, and assembled by members of our transportation and maintenance departments. Or maybe you have heard about the 416,255 meals provided to students and families by our food services department since the pandemic began in March 2020. There are countless other tasks they have performed the of which the general public is unaware. Like helping to keep our schools and buses clean and sanitized for a safe return to in-person learning. Or building racks, growth trays, and a watering filtration system for the aquaponics program in our new greenhouse. 

How do we possibly select just one person to be honored as our district’s Fred Award Winner when so many people continue to go above and beyond the call of duty each day in their respective roles? The answer is simple; we don’t. Instead, we have decided to recognize the entire LaRue County Schools Support Staff as this year’s Fred Award Winner.

Our decision to select multiple candidates for submission to KASA will prohibit LaRue County Schools from being eligible for the state-wide Fred Award this year. However, we feel we owe it to our entire support staff to be publicly commended for their dedication to our students, schools, and community. Throughout the week, we will acknowledge our appreciation publicly to this group of employees for their quality work and positive attitude during a difficult time. 

Please join me in congratulating the Support Staff for being named the 2021 LaRue County Schools Fred Award Winner. If you know any of the wonderful people or happen to see them out in public, please thank them for the work they do and the positive impact they have on our community. We could not do it without them.

It’s a great day to be a Hawk!

Masking up for our schools and community

When this feature was written, 101 of Kentucky’s 120 counties were categorized as “Critical”, according to the Kentucky Department of Public Health’s current incidence rate map. Meaning, these counties had more than 25 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. LaRue County is one of those with a current incidence rate of 64.5. Because our incidence rate is so high, the school district has been forced to delay in-person instruction until we fall to 25 or below on the incidence rate map. While we desperately want our children to attend classes within their schools, as long as the virus community spread remains critical, it is not in the best interest of our students and staff to do so. 

Our schools, facilities, and buses continue to follow all healthy at school and work guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Kentucky Department of Public Health (KDPH), and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). As a result, our effort to preserve the health of our students and staff has been exemplary. This is evidenced by the fact we currently only have five active student cases and five active staff cases in the district. Conversely, according to the Lincoln Trail District Health Department (LTDHD), our community has 92 active cases. If we look at the data from the time the pandemic began, there have only been 58 confirmed school-aged children cases. In contrast, the community, as a whole, has experienced a total of 467 confirmed coronavirus cases. 

The guidance our schools follow, which seems to have the most significant impact on preventing the spread of the virus, includes wearing a face covering, practicing social distancing, regular hand-washing, and avoiding large group gatherings. Data suggests these mitigation factors are working and allowing our students and staff to remain healthy while at school. Unfortunately, this virus is not relegated to just the schools, but is a community problem (evidenced by the high incidence rate). If we are to get our students back to in-person instruction anytime soon, it is imperative more members of our community consider implementing the same kinds of practices our schools use to reduce the risk of spread. Specifically, by wearing a mask.

In communities across the nation, wearing masks and face coverings in public has been a contentious issue since the pandemic began. Whether the argument stems from a personal rights standpoint or a political stance for why those refuse to wear a mask, scientific study supports the correct use of a mask as an effective means for reducing the coronavirus’ spread. The CDC released a scientific brief on November 10, 2020, based on recent research, describing individual and community benefits from consistently and correctly wearing masks. The study demonstrates that face coverings reduce the chances of transmitting and catching the coronavirus, suggesting that wearing a mask also protects the wearer, and not just those around them, from contracting the virus. The CDC also recommends all people two years of age or older wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in their household.

For those that wear a face covering in public while also practicing the other healthy guidance, we appreciate your support – Thank You! For those still reluctant to wear a face covering, regardless of your reasoning, we understand. Our students and staff (including me) experienced similar concerns to begin the school year. We had to get beyond the inconvenience and discomfort of something new for the greater good, so we know how you feel. However, now is the time where we all must put our differences aside, come together, and do what is best for our community’s children. Returning to in-person instruction is what’s best, but we can only do so if we reduce the number of COVID-19 cases within the community. Our district will continue to follow the guidance and use the metrics provided by the KDPH and make decisions regarding instruction based on the incidence rate map. As long as we remain in the critical category, or red, we will resume with nontraditional instructional (NTI) days. Please help us get back in school and stay there by consistently and correctly wearing a mask when out in public.

Where can I find additional information?

All guidance and expectations regarding our school’s reopening plan can be found in Restart 2020: LaRue County Schools Return to School Plan. This and other useful pandemic information and resources can be found by clicking on the COVID-19 tab on our district website at https://www.larue.kyschools.us/