Ohio County Schools Superintendent Scott Lewis received an "excellent" performance review from the OC School Board at its last meeting.[/caption]
The Ohio County School Board had its regular meeting on July 25. During the meeting, the school board raised the dropout rate, approved the resurfacing of the high school tennis courts and evaluated the job performance of schools superintendent Scott Lewis.
— During the April 26 school board meeting, the board approved a motion to raise the dropout age from 16 years of age to 18 years of age beginning in the 2014-2015 school year.
Unfortunately, Ohio County, as well as other school districts, acted too quickly in raising the dropout rate to 18 years of age. School boards could not raise the dropout rate until after the Kentucky Senate approved Senate Bill 97 and the bill became a law. The bill became a law in June.
Because of this, the school board had to, again, approve a motion to raise the school district’s dropout rate to 18 years of age.
The law stated that if 55 percent or 96 of the state’s school districts adopted the new dropout age, then all school districts had to adopt the new dropout age. Planning grants of $10,000 were to be provided through the Kentucky Department of Education to the first 96 school districts that raised the dropout age.
In April, Ohio County would have been one of the first school districts to adopt the new dropout age, thus qualifying them for one of the 96 $10,000 planning grants. Because the April motion is not valid, schools superintendent Scott Lewis is not sure if the school district will receive the $10,000 grant.
“We’re applying for (the grant). We don’t know if we’ll get it and it’s really not fair,” Lewis said during the meeting. “There were a lot of districts that (raised the dropout age too early) and we were probably one of the first 15 (to do so).”
Board member Jay Raymond made a motion to raise the dropout age to 18 years of age. Board member Karen Boling seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
— Lewis informed the board members the tennis courts at the high school were in pretty bad shape. Lewis said the courts were beginning to crack.
Lewis told the board the cracks needed to be filled and the tennis courts resurfaced. He believed something should have been done about the issue “a while ago" and was afraid if the courts were not resurfaced, then the board would have to build new ones.
The Board of Education had received one bid by the July 25 meeting and two more were expected a day or two after the meeting. Lewis asked the board to approve a motion to accept the lowest bid.
Jay Raymond made a motion to accept the lowest bid. Board member Matt Gilstrap seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
— Every year the school board members evaluate the job the schools superintendent has done and present him with their evaluations in a public meeting. During the June meeting, board members Boling, Jay Raymond, Dwight Raymond and board chairperson Jeff Evans presented Lewis with their evaluations. Gilstrap was not present for the June meeting, so his evaluation was presented at the July 25 meeting.
The board members evaluations are broken down into nine categories. These categories are, leadership and district culture, policy and governance, communications and community relations, organizational management, curriculum planning and development, instructional leadership, human resource management, values and ethics in leadership, student achievement and learning and labor relations.
Each category is graded on a scale of one through four with a one being a poor grade and a four being outstanding.
Evans read the board members’ evaluations to those in attendance. Lewis received mostly threes, for excellent, and fours, for outstanding. Evans informed Lewis that based on the scores, his total evaluation “exceeded excellent.”
Jay Raymond praised Lewis for being fiscally responsible, being respectful of both students and parents and having a good eye for talent.
Jay Raymond also believed Lewis was a great servant leader, who leads by example.
“There’s a difference between being a boss and a leader. People follow a leader, they don’t like to follow a boss,” Jay Raymond said. “I’m very proud to say Mr. Lewis is a leader. Thank you, Scott.”
Evans told Lewis the board members aren' the only ones who thought he was doing an excellent job.
“Everyone that I’ve come into contact with, Mr. Lewis, has been positive and upbeat and this report will reflect that,” Evans told Lewis.
Lewis thanked the board members for the praise and excellent evaluations.
“I appreciate the support and I’m glad to be here. We have a great school district and we had a great first year,” Lewis said. “I look forward to some of the changes we’ve put in place in all of our schools for this coming year including wireless internet, a big emphasis at the high school on college and career readiness and dual credit classes.”
A motion was made by Dwight Raymond to accept Lewis’ evaluation. The motion was seconded by Boling. The motion passed unanimously.