It’s a proven fact: healthier students are more effective learners.
This was the focus of Thursday night’s special-called Trigg County Schools Board of Education Health & Wellness Forum, which is required by law to be annually held — whether or not the public attends.
Vacant as it was, problems and potential solutions were discussed, and one of the biggest issues in Cadiz — and many other of the state’s districts — is vaping.
In 2023, Kentucky was second in the country in vaping and e-cigarette usage, and Superintendent Bill Thorpe noted that of the 16 students penalized last month for on-campus drug possession/use, 14-to-15 of them were for THC vapes.
Kentucky also remains the second-highest state with chronic conditions such as arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, COPD, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. Kentucky is also the 49th-lowest state in total exercise, among the nation’s highest in physical inactivity and is ranked second in days of frequent physical distress.
At his previous job in Marshall County, Thorpe said they started an after-school walking club for high schoolers. It didn’t garner a ton of students, he added, but one unnamed young woman lost 40 pounds.
That’s something, he added, Trigg County Schools could do to help students and faculty alike.
In order to continue campus health, Thorpe also said the district will be looking to implement five measures throughout this semester and beyond:
— Evaluate and revise, if necessary, the District Wellness Policy using a specific Well SAT 2.0 tool;
— Offer food options that represent a wide selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables, at a cost of $5,000;
— Seek and apply for grants, promoting and reinforcing healthy behaviors and practices, at a cost of $500;
— Form a committee to review and select a social-emotional learning curriculum for all students that is evidence-based, at a cost of $5,000;
— And provide healthy tips, such as recipes, parenting strategies, exercise options and stress management plans, in more family-to-school communications.
Board member Gayle Rufli said that, following a visit to the co-curricular building this week, Murray State University’s Dr. Ross Meloan and Trigg County Athletic Director Doug Gloyd have come to an agreement, and the new facility will play host to the Region 1 and Region 2 West Kentucky Soccer Officials Association referee clinic this August. Rufli said Meloan, a longtime line and field judge in the area, was impressed with the structure and its layout.
School officials Matt Ladd and Matt Boehman also confirmed that dignitaries from Henderson County, Union County and Christian County have either already visited, or are planning to visit, not only the co-curricular facility, but the improved vocational building.
Chief Financial Officer Holly Greene gave an abbreviated rundown of what the budget for Fiscal Year 2025 might look like for the district, and it included some positive growth. The addition of a handful of electric buses, she said, means no new purchases are planned, and a near 4% decrease in the CERS retirement rates should bring in more than $100,000.
However, she also noted it’s extremely difficult to forecast what the budget will fully look like until the Kentucky General Assembly finishes its 60-day biennium budget session this year. Will there be state mandates for increased teacher and staff pay? Will the SEEK formula see the increase it so desperately needs? These questions have to be answered. She did say that a 1% raise costs Trigg County Schools approximately $120,000, and that a new draft budget will be ready by May.
The 2024-25 academic calendar was also ratified, with dates consistent from previous years. The first day of school with students will be August 13, and the last day will be May 22, 2025. Outside of the four mandatory holidays, Fall Break will be October 7-11, Thanksgiving Break will be November 27-29, Christmas Break will be from December 23 until January 3, 2025, and Spring Break will be from March 31 until April 5, 2025. The KSA testing window will be open from May 5-22, 2025.
Board member Charlene Sheehan said the calendar committee strongly considered an earlier start date in order to foster an earlier end date, but advice from Trigg County High School Guidance Counselor Janay Futrell proved useful. Grades from dual-credit courses at Hopkinsville Community College cannot be returned prior to May 17 of each year, meaning graduates wouldn’t have full access to their transcripts, and wouldn’t have the necessary materials to receive a diploma.