School board to make decision about ‘reconfiguring’ elementary schools

Estill County School’s Superintendent Bert Hensley reported earlier this week that he and the school board would be meeting to make decisions about proposed changes to the local elementary schools.
He said the changes would effect Estill Springs Elementary (ESE) School and West Irvine Elementary (WIE) School. The board has been considering reconfiguring the grade levels that attend each school.
The proposed change would make ESE a school for only first and second-grade students. WIE would become the new third-, fourth- and fifth-grade education center.
The other local elementary school, South Irvine Pre-K Center, would continue to serve only kindergarten and head start students.
This change was proposed as a solution to removing the fifth-grade students from the old school building on the ESE campus.
Currently, fifth grade students at ESE travel from the old building into the main building for lunch, gym and library time during the school day.
“The board has been looking for a way to get the fifth grade students out of the old building,” Hensley said.
He said this proposed arrangement would make educating local students even easier.
“This really streamlines the resources and curriculum,” he said.
This change allows teachers and administrators to more efficiently meet the needs of students in individual grades. Hensley gave an example of how this new arrangement would simplify things in the local schools.
“If we needed to meet with the first grade teachers about something that’s happening, we could meet with all of them in the same school at the same time,” he said. “With the current system, the grade would be separated in two different schools.”
He said the proposed arrangement would also allowed every student in Estill County schools to go to school at the new WIE building.
“This new building has a lot to offer our students,” he said.
In terms of safety, the board said the new system would prevent students from having to travel from one building to another during the school day.
If approved, these changes would go into effect at the beginning of the coming school year.
The board will meet on Tuesday, May 28, at 6 p.m. at Central Office to discuss these changes.
School board meetings are open to the public. Hensley said any parents or members of the community with concerns should feel free to call and discuss this proposed change with him.