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Hancock school board approves superintendent goals

By CRAIG HOWELL 2 min read
HONORED — During Monday’s meeting of the Hancock County Board of Education, officials took time to honor the military service of Lisa Burk. Burk, who is a special education teacher at Weir Middle School, recently retired from the U.S. Army Reserve with 31 years of military service. Pictured with Superintendent Dan Enich, Burk has completed tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan among many other overseas assignments and been recognized with numerous awards. -- Craig Howell

NEW CUMBERLAND - The Hancock County Board of Education, Monday, approved a series of goals established by Superintendent Dan Enich for the district to work toward over the next year.

Enich explained he is establishing four main goals for the school year, which must be submitted to the state by Friday.

Among those are to enhance the school district's standing in the community, provide leadership strategies for the schools and provide the necessary tools to assist with increasing student achievement, and to enhance the culture of the schools to emphasize learning.

Although board members initially expressed interest in holding a special meeting to discuss the goals, in particular because they had only received them Monday, they agreed to offer their approval because of the pending deadline.

"This is the first year," board Vice President Ed Fields said. "These goals are pretty encompassing."

Still, board member Larry Shaw asked whether the goals also should include a focus on improving student attendance.

"That's something we've heard repeatedly," Shaw said.

In related matters, Enich said a report on attendance from the 2022-23 school year was being finalized and would be made available to the board. Fields requested the possibility of having a comparative summary reviewing attendance over the last few years.

Also approved by the board Monday was a recommendation to rededicate the Field of Dreams baseball and softball complex at Oak Glen High School as the Suzan L. Smith Fields of Dreams in honor of the former superintendent of Hancock County Schools.

"It's well deserved," board President Chris Gillette said.

In other business Monday, the school board approved:

An unpaid leave of absence for Kaitlyn Rhodes, the resignation of Janet Arehart as adult education instructor at the John D. Rockefeller IV Career Center, and the assignment of Daphney Tanner and Michelle Wade as countywide substitute teachers.

A request for an overnight trip by the Oak Glen Middle volleyball team to Clarksburg Sept. 29-30 for the Hilltopper Invitational.

The declaration of a True Milk Cooler at Oak Glen High School as surplus.

A list of seven Oak Glen students and 19 Weir High students as short-day students.

Starting at /week.