Lincoln School Board sets course for 2025-26 with key approvals

Published 1:25 pm Tuesday, July 29, 2025

By Christopher Brown

Contributing Writer

The Lincoln County Board of Education approved a wide range of items during its regular meeting held July 11, covering district policies, staff updates, and school operations for the 2025-26 academic year.

The meeting was led by Chair Christine Killen with Superintendent Bruce Smith and board members Tyler McGuffey, Jennifer Broadbent, Phillip Coots and Gloria Sneed in attendance. The board approved the agenda after voting to table the student handbook discussion until the August meeting.

Superintendent and staff updates

Superintendent Smith presented updates on personnel actions, school enrollments, financials, and monthly school-based decision-making council minutes. Architect Patrick Culp of Sherman Carter Barnhart provided a progress report on the King’s Mountain Project.

Consent agenda

The board unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included:

• Minutes from meetings held June 5, 12, and 24;
  • Purchases over $40,000, including $65,997.96 for U.S. Bank Bond Series 2015 and $41,898 for Verkada security cameras;
  • Facility use approvals, including a request from Central Kentucky Storm to use the high school football field;
  • Trip requests, such as Lincoln County High School cheerleaders attending an ESPN competition in Orlando in early 2026;
  • Fundraising activities at multiple schools, including a yard sale and Aviator 5K at Highland Elementary.

Action items

The board approved multiple policy revisions and district initiatives, including:

• Implementation of a 457(b) deferred compensation plan;
  • Revised policies for parental engagement (Title I), school staffing, and employee evaluations;
  • The 2025-26 Certified Evaluation Plan;
  • Updated Employee and Coaches’ Handbooks;
  • A memorandum of understanding with Unite Service Corps to provide literacy and drug prevention programming at Waynesburg Elementary;
  • The district’s annual Emergency Operations Plan;
  • A policy allowing middle school students to provide their own padlocks for lockers as part of a student responsibility and PBIS fundraiser initiative.
  Lincoln County Middle School was approved to replace aging copiers with three new machines using district funds, which will be reimbursed from school allocations. Lincoln County High School was approved to surplus old desks, chairs, and science tables.

Dual credit and academic support

Agreements were approved with Eastern Kentucky University and Campbellsville University to offer dual credit classes to high school students for the upcoming school year.

The board also approved several special education service contracts, including:

• $30,000 with Hands On Therapy for physical therapy services;
  • $4,000 for orientation and mobility support for a visually impaired student;
  • $20,000 with Read Braille Inc. to serve nine visually impaired students;
  • $13,000 for a consultant to support classrooms with moderate to severe disabilities.
  Sub-header: Technology and facilities updates

The board declared as surplus several outdated items, including two non-working mowers and district phones no longer needed after the implementation of a new Zoom phone system.

Toadvine Enterprises was approved for a $34,799.40 payment for bleacher installation at Lincoln County High School. Construction documents for Bid Package #2—part of ongoing renovations at the high school and athletic facilities—were also approved.

Two change orders were authorized to transfer flooring material responsibilities from Ohio Valley Flooring to Branscum Construction, maintaining the same cost and avoiding scheduling delays.

The board designated Blackboard, Outlook and Starfish as traceable communication platforms for dual credit courses, in compliance with SB 181.

An MOU with the Kentucky Department of Education was approved for a new Health Science teaching position at the high school.

Closed session and adjournment

The board entered closed session under KRS 61.810 to discuss pending litigation and the potential acquisition or sale of property. Upon return, board members voted to authorize legal counsel to negotiate a resolution regarding the legal matter discussed.