LCS Meeting Briefs January 11th, 2022

Listed below are notes from the January 11th Leon County School Board meeting.
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Superintendent Rocky Hanna recognized the Chiles Timberwolf girls swim team, who were runner-up in the State Championship. Also recognized was the Chiles golf team, who were runners-up in the state tournament. They have been one of the top two teams for the last three years. Finally, the Chiles swim team were acknowledged for their state championship win.
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Sheriff Walt McNeil spoke about the LCSO report, “The Anatomy of a Homicide.” McNeil has previously given the same report to both the Leon County Commission and the City Commission, who have embraced the work by McNeil and his team. In addition, McNeil discussed the committee he wants to establish, the Council on the Status of Men and Boys, that will help prevent youth from becoming involved in crime.

The Sheriff’s presentation sparked discussion amongst the Board members about new pathways for certifications and technical careers for students. Most of the Board agreed that college is not the only route toward a successful career or higher education.
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Dr. Cassandra Poole was appointed the new principal for Astoria Park Elementary School on January 4th. Principal David Solz of Astoria Park Elementary took a position at the district offcie related to academic services, school accountability and testing.
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The Board heard a report on the Learning Recovery Program completed at R. Frank Nims Middle School. Thirty-three students were identified to participate in the program. The students must have perfect attendance and proper classroom behavior to continue participating. The program is to help students who have failed a previous grade level(s) to regain a level to graduate on time and mitigate the dropout rate.
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There will be youth participation events in celebration of Martin Luther King Day, Monday January 17th, between 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
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The Board heard a report on refugee families that Leon County is receiving. LCS is expecting to have 150 refugee students that will begin school. Of the 150 students, 15 have started to receive services from LCS.
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Assistant Superintendent Dr. Alan Cox presented new information on COVID. Leon County has a 26.81% positivity rate. Cox and Hanna both said though there have been more positive cases, with 90 teachers district-wide and over 500 students testing positive for COVID, none of these cases have led to hospital admissions, and in most cases, the symptoms are mild.
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Chair Darryl Jones was honored as the Civil Rights Advocate of the Year by Capital Outlook.