McCracken School Board Approves 2018-19 Calendar

At Thursday's McCracken County School Board meeting, they approved a calendar for the next school year and discussed a new Lone Oak Middle School building.

Board members approved the 2018-19 school calendar as presented by the calendar committee following their October meeting. Highlights include:

· Opening Day/Registration: Aug. 3, 2018
· First Day for Students: Aug. 9, 2018
· Fall Break: Oct. 8 – Oct. 12, 2018
· Christmas Break: Dec. 22, 2018 – Jan. 2, 2019
· Spring Break: April 1 – April 5, 2019
· Last Day for Students: May 17, 2019

The board also gave its approval for the district to begin accepting design proposals for a new Lone Oak Middle School building. The Local Planning Committee (LPC) recently recommended constructing a new building on property the district already owns on Bleich Road. This would place the school close to its athletic fields and help alleviate traffic congestion around the elementary and intermediate schools. LOIS would relocate to the current LOMS building, further following the LPC's recommendations. Director of Facilities Todd Jackson. said an architect/engineer for the design phase of the project will be chosen in the coming months, based on which proposal offers the best overall value for the district. 

The school district also anticipates an increase in state funding based on increased enrollment. McCracken Schools experienced the 4th largest statewide enrollment growth this year by number of students (113 additional students), and 13th highest by percentage (1.8% growth). This bump in enrollment should result in additional funding from the state to meet the needs of the district's growing student population, according to Director of Pupil Personnel Brian Bowland.