(Posted Jan. 14, 2019)
By Amanda Ensinger, Staff Writer
The London school board held a first reading on the 2019-20 course guide on Jan. 8. Some board members expressed concern about what courses will be added to the curriculum and what courses will be left out
Dr. Lou Kramer, district superintendent, said the district plans to add a variety of courses to continue to enhance students’ employability skills, such as a robotics course.
“I am disappointed that we don’t have any accounting or bookkeeping courses,” said board member Marvin Homan. “Accounting is one of the most highly sought-after jobs and requires a four-year degree. Bookkeeping is also an important job, and a lot of the professionals currently doing it are in their 60s, so they will need people to enter these careers.”
Homan said he has expressed this concern in the past and will continue to until the board acts.
“I think we are really missing the boat on teaching someone a good profession,” he said. “If students aren’t introduced to this now, then how are they going to be interested in it in the future and want to pursue it as a career?”
Darryl Brown, board president, said he appreciated Homan’s input.
“I look forward to having further discussions about this and seeing what options we have available,” Brown said.
The board also discussed new safety measures the district plans to enact this school year. They include adding barricades to classroom door so teachers can protect their rooms should an emergency occur.
“This will add an extra layer of security,” Kramer said. “These barricades will ensure the doors can’t be opened from the outside, further protecting students and teachers.”
Other measures safety measures in the works include connecting the school radios directly to emergency first responders. According to Kramer, this would eliminate the need to call 911 during an emergency; the school could instead send an emergency message via their radios. These radios are located in the office of each school, as well as at the bus garage.
The board recognized students from all three of the district’s schools who exemplify the concept of “London Possible” by overcoming adversity and going above and beyond to achieve their goals.
“We began in January by looking at student achievement and nominating students who are the epitome of ‘London Possible,’ ” Kramer said. “We looked for students who make the most of the opportunities they are given here.”
During the presentation, words used to describe the students included “committed,” “hard worker,” “go-getter”’ and “helpful.”
Prior to the regular meeting on Jan. 8, the board held its annual organizational meeting. Brown and Jonathan Stahl were named president and vice president, respectively, for 2019.
The board also set its meeting dates for the year. The group will meet at 6:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month, with the exception of June when the meeting will take place on June 25. Meetings take place in Room 311 at the high school.
