The Christian County Board of Education will hear a proposal Wednesday afternoon for ceremonies to honor the district’s graduating seniors.
The school board meeting, by teleconference, will begin at 5 p.m.
Superintendent Mary Ann Gemmill said three district principals — Chris Bentzel of Christian County High School, John Gunn of Hopkinsville High School and the Penny Knight of Gateway Academy — have been working on a plan to recognize the graduates while observing state requirements for social distancing and the ban on large gatherings.
“They have worked so hard on the proposal,” she said.
The public can view a live stream of Wednesday’s school board meeting through a link on the district’s website.
Students, who have not been in their classrooms since mid-March because of the coronavirus outbreak, learned Monday they won’t be returning to school before the end of the academic year. Gov. Andy Beshear told the state’s local superintendents in a conference call. Students will finish out the school year working on Non-Traditional Instruction at home.
The school district will be looking to use emergency relief funds for summer programs and remediation, said Gemmill.
Gemmill is retiring on June 30. Bentzel has been selected to succeed her. A search has started to replace him at CCHS principal.
Graduation plans are also being made at the two private schools — University Heights Academy and Heritage Christian Academy.
UHA Head of School Beth Unfried said she hopes to finalize details Monday.
(Jennifer P. Brown is the editor and founder of Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org.)
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
