LAPEL — Discussion will continue on whether Lapel schools will join Frankton schools in requiring student backpacks to be clear.
After an incident at Frankton Junior-Senior High School in September, Principal Greg Granger implemented a rule that students could not carry backpacks into the school unless they were clear. The initial measure from Granger was to eliminate backpacks.
The new rule was applied after a threatening message was written in one of the school’s bathrooms.
At the Nov. 14 Frankton-Lapel Community Schools board meeting, board member Bill Brobston said he had talked with Superintendent Bobby Fields about being proactive and including the rule for Lapel students, too.
“I would hate to see something happen at Lapel and people say, ‘You did it at Frankton; why didn’t you do it at Lapel?” Brobston said at the board meeting.
Fields told the board he talked with Granger and Lapel High School Principal John Willis about starting the clear backpacks requirement at Lapel in the spring or the summer.
“It will be a continued discussion to see if we’ll do it next (school) year at Lapel,” Fields said.
School calendar approved
The board approved the calendar for the 2020-21 school year.
The school year will begin with teacher-only days Aug. 11-12. The first day for students will be Aug. 13.
The end of the first nine-week grading period will be Oct. 9, followed by fall break from Oct. 19-23.
Students and teachers will be off for Thanksgiving from Nov. 25-27 and for Christmas and winter break beginning on Dec. 18. Classes resume on Jan. 4, 2021. Spring break is slated for April 5-9 and the last stay for students will be May 27.
Days slated for eLearning are Sept. 4, Oct. 14, and Feb. 15.
Drivers receive gifts
The board approved gift cards for seven school system bus drivers for perfect attendance.
Drivers David Granger, John Henderson, Jacki Hudson, Homayoun Honarmandian and Debra Long received a $20 gift card for one year of perfect attendance.
For four consecutive years of perfect attendance, Jim Carpenter and Rick Thurber received $40 gift cards.
The request was made to the board by Assistant Superintendent Sterling Boles.
“We appreciate all they do,” Boles told the board.
Parent-teacher numbers are up
Fields reported to the board that statistics are showing an increase in participation at all FLCS schools for parent-teacher conferences.
The largest percentage increase was at Lapel Middle School, where the percent of parents participating in conferences increased from 46% last year to 56% this year.
Lapel Elementary increased by a tenth of a percentage point 99.29% this year.
At the high school, the increase was from 29 percent to 31 percent.
The conferences took place 3 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 9-10.
For 2020-21, the parent-teacher conferences will coincide with an eLearning day, taking place from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 14.