By Staff Reports
A new fieldhouse will be built at Patrick County High School, courtesy of an anonymous donor.
Dr. J. David Martin, Acting Superintendent of Patrick County Schools, said an anonymous donor is giving the division $100,000 to build a fieldhouse on the grounds of the Patrick County High School Athletic Fields.
The new facility will be named the ‘Martin F. “Fill” Clark Fieldhouse,’ Martin said, adding that the center will house batting and pitching for baseball and softball. The property will be gifted to the school system upon completion of the project.
Construction is set to begin once we receive the funds and we anticipate it will be complete by April, Martin said.
He added the anonymous donor also will make another “significant investment in Patrick County.” Martin did not elaborate.
In other matters at their meeting Thursday, the board also:
*Approved a consent agenda that included minutes of the November board meeting, regular invoices; monthly financial report and a capital/maintenance report.
*Heard a report from Annie Hylton, regarding the information she gleaned while attending three sessions of the recent 2019 Virginia School Board Association (VSBA) Convention in Williamsburg.
Two of the sessions were related to student success/achievement and strategic planning/family engagement; legislative updates were discussed during the third session, Hylton said. The session speaker told the group that “since the election, there is a change in the balance of power. There would be bipartisanship and cooperation. There will be competition for funding between K-12, higher education and early childhood” funds, Hylton said.
She also noted there “may be some unfunded mandates coming down the pike” from the state, and depending on how the General Assembly votes.
*Approved action items that included a new drug/alcohol testing policy for bus drivers and CDL carriers. The new policy is needed because the division is using a new testing company.
*Approved a request to allow the $130 annually earmarked that is used by certified staff to complete college coursework to also be used for required professional licenses, and a reimbursement for school nurses. The funds are already in the budget.
“This is just another added benefit for our employees,” Martin said.
Approved a meeting schedule for the upcoming new year; the majority will be held in the Patrick County Veterans Memorial Building on Rucker Street in Stuart.
*Martin recognized outgoing board members Michelle Day, who served 8-years representing the Mayo River District, and Hylton, who served 12 years as the Peters Creek District representative.
