New Bath School Board Hits The Ground Running At First Meeting

Warm Springs, VA – The new Bath County School Board hit the ground running at its first monthly meeting on Monday night. The school board is made up of all new members: Allison Hicklin, Amy Gwin, Cathy Lowry, Rhonda Grim and Dr. Ellen Miller.

The board had to get to work right away on the Capital Improvement Plan, or CIP, since it was due in to the Planning Commission the next day. The CIP is a wish list of items that are above and beyond the school system’s budget. School Superintendent Sue Hirsh suggested tabling one item on the CIP: the parking lot improvements at the high school. She said she first wants to see how the plan for water runoff is working after the construction of the new softball field is completed.

The School Principals were asked what their top priorities are for CIP items. Elementary Schools Principal Les Balgavy said his first priority is the installation of cameras on school buses and second is a keyless entry system on the school buildings. High School Principal Sarah Rowe said her top priority is cameras inside the high school and second is a keyless entry system. Rowe added that if money is not available to place cameras in all areas of the high school, she would like to have cameras installed in certain blind spots of the building.

The school board approved the CIP, with a new 65 passenger school bus at the top of the list. Second is cameras on school buses, third is the keyless entry systems at the schools and fourth is the camera surveillance system at the high school.

And rounding out the CIP for 2012-13 is the installation of window shades at the high school and improvements to the football field. The estimated total cost for items on the CIP is about $355,000.

Items on the CIP moved to the 2013-14 school year include the replacement of the high school lockers, replacement of the football scoreboard, cameras at the elementary schools and improvements to the high school parking lot.

As part of its organizational meeting, the Board appointed Amy Gwin as chairperson for this year and Rhonda Grim as vice chair. And the Board voted to hold the majority of the regular school board monthly meetings at the Bath County High School Library.

For more from the Bath School Board meeting tune into Noon Hour on Thursday.