Hampton District 2 honors outgoing board members

A joyous celebration of the accomplishments made by Hampton County District 2 School Board Vice-Chair Daisy Orr and board member Elizabeth Haines was held during a Dec. 13 school board meeting in Estill. Both members have chosen not to run for re-election and the meeting was their final one.

The longtime board members were given flowers and a commemorative plaque, as well as kind words from District 2 Superintendent Martin Wright and numerous district employees during the celebration of their time serving the students of the district.

“My eight years on the board have been a ride I’ll never forget,” said Orr. “I have enjoyed working with the children, parents, superintendents, teachers and staff. I have learned a lot from a lot of different people. It was fun and I’m going to miss it.”

“You have been a tremendous rock within the district,” Wright told Orr. “Your resilience as a leader has proven to us that good leadership is not about running when things get tough, it’s about enduring until the end…We thank you for leading us through what looked like the impossible.”

Former vice-chair and board member Haines was thanked for her service to the students of District 2, as well.

“Behind every great chair is a great vice-chair,” explained Wright. “We salute you for your service to the students of Hampton School District 2.”

County Council decision

During the meeting, Hampton County Council’s decision to not allow District 2 to exit their contract with the district’s financial advisor Scott Allen was discussed. The district had hoped to be allowed to end their $75,000-per-year contract with Allen, which was mandated by the county after the district received a sizable loan from the county. 

“They took a vote on it and they told us no, we would not be released despite all of the good effort the board has made in the last two years to turn around our fiscal affairs. And we must say to the community that our board of education has done a tremendous job turning around our district finances,” said Wright.

Middle school Lockers

The District 2 School Board will vote on a proposal to purchase lockers for students at Estill Middle School at the board’s next meeting. A quote to purchase and install the lockers has been obtained by the district. The $25,374.60 it will cost to install the lockers must be granted by a vote from the board.

The request for the lockers came from the school’s principal, who stated the school and students would benefit from the districts purchasing of the lockers. The lockers will help keep electronic devices safe and secure during school, as well course materials.

Wright informed the audience and the board around $12,000 of the original bid could come from a special fund for building improvement. The rest of the money required to purchase the lockers would need to come out of the district’s general fund.

In other District 2 School Board meeting news:

• A request to purchase new financing software was made by the district’s Office of Technology. Hampton District 2 is one of only three school districts left in the state still using the antiquated software system, which is prone to crashes.
• The November District 2 financial report was given to the board.
• Superintendent Wright commended Chair Jacqueline Hopkins for her achieving Level 2 school board training.  
• During the meeting, a detailed financial report was given to the board by an independent auditor. According to the independent auditor hired by the district, the districts funds are in good standing. He commended the board for their fiscal responsibility.
• Several policy updates and other pertinent information were placed on the Hampton District 2 website for review by parents.