BY PHILL BARNETT
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County Board of Education met Monday for a special meeting. At the meeting, the board approved pending bills and business. The district will be receiving a parcel of land from the Economic Development Authority as well as a settlement from JUUL and other electronic cigarette companies.
EDA property
The Martin County Economic Development Authority has agreed to give the Board of Education a plot of land next to Martin County High School. The property was most recently valued at $1.2 million and measures approximately 148.5 acres.
“It gives us the property and gives us 10 years to build something on it. It’s almost like a baseball trade,” said Superintendent Larry James. “We’re getting the property, then we’ll trade something later on down the road. You know, player to be named later.”
The EDA believes allocating this land to the Board of Education will further the county’s economic development by improving the community’s education.
Vape settlement
The school district will receive a settlement as part of litigation against JUUL and other manufacturers, distributors and sellers of electronic cigarettes and vaping products.
The case against these companies alleged that they marketed nicotine products directly to children, directly and adversely impacting their schools.
There are 1,464 school districts in the nation that are receiving a portion of the settlement. The settlement amount is confidential, but school districts were awarded specific amounts based on the number of schools and student population.
Martin County will receive its portion of the settlement spread out over the next three years. The district is not allowed to disclose the settlement amount without a proper Open Records Request first being filed, or they will face a penalty.
Mobile preschool
The district is beginning work on a project to convert an extra school bus into a mobile learning station for preschool-aged children who are not part of Head Start or another preschool program.
The board has been working with the Kentucky Department of Education to make this project happen since last spring and has received approval from the state Commissioner.
The KDE will fund most of the necessary upgrades and fuel for the bus and a teacher and a bus driver for two years.
The mobile learning station will travel to different areas where it will park to allow easier access throughout the county. Each day of the week, the bus will travel to a different area to serve that community. It may also move locations during the day if needed to effectively serve as many students as possible. Parents will be encouraged to stay and observe their children’s learning.
The mobile preschool bus is expected to be up and rolling by August.
Other business
The board voted to approve pending bills and invoices as well as the school calendar for 2023-2024. The board also approved bids for grass-cutting at all of the county’s schools.
The board voted to solicit bids for yearly financial audits.
Administrative staff reports showed that the district’s student population has decreased by approximately 92 students compared to pre-COVID figures. Current enrollment is 1,626.
Strep throat and other illnesses have caused minor outbreaks in schools this year. Administrators chalk this up to decreased immunity from not attending school during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eight students in the district on Homebound have indicated “anxiety” as the reason for not attending in-person. The board discussed the increased level of anxiety for modern students caused by COVID-19, other illnesses and school shootings.