schools prepare for year

By Kevin Pearcey

Superintendent Kathi Wallace said school faculty are busily preparing for the opening of the 2005-06 school year on Aug. 12.

Wallace said teachers and staff members from Luverne, Brantley and Highland Home schools would report to the Luverne High School Auditorium on Aug. 9 for an all-inclusive meeting to help start the year off right. The meeting will start at 8 a.m.

"It's very exciting," said Wallace. "It's the first time we've done anything like this so we're really looking forward to it."

Construction has been on going at all three county schools over the summer, said Wallace. Eight classrooms in Brantley and five in Highland Home have seen extensive renovation, with central air and heat replacing old hanging heaters and air condition units, all in an effort to modernize, said Wallace. Freezer and cooler units have also been added to Brantley's cafeteria and the Luverne Gymnasium and locker rooms have been renovated.

Wallace expects all construction to be completed by the first day of school.

Wallace also said she's anxiously awaiting the September arrival of nine new buses to serve the county's students. She said the new buses would likely replace the older ones in the school system's fleet.

The Crenshaw County Board of Education will hold two separate budget hearings for the upcoming school year, one today and one on Aug. 15. Both meetings will start at 5:30 p.m.

Wallace said she was extremely pleased with the state's Education Trust Fund budget this year, totaling $5.2 billion.

"Everyone I've spoken to in education agrees this is the best budget we've ever had for state education," she said. "We received everything we asked for."

Brantley School will hold pre-registration/orientation on Tuesday, Aug. 9 from 4:40 p.m. – 6 p.m. for kindergarten and elementary students.

Highland Home School will hold K-4 (four-years-old) orientation on Monday, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m.; kindergarten – second grade orientation on Thursday, Aug. 11 at 6 p.m.; and third – fifth grade orientation on Aug. 11 at 7 p.m.

Luverne will Elementary Open House on Tuesday, Aug. 9 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and seventh grade orientation from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., also that Tuesday.