ADAMS TOWNSHIP — After having its graduation commencement last year at Wilmington College’s Hermann Court, Clinton-Massie will hold its 2020 ceremony back at its Lebanon Road campus.
After learning the college decided against renting the facility again, Clinton-Massie then considered Roberts Convention Centre at Interstate 71 and U.S. 68, said Clinton-Massie Local Schools Superintendent Matt Baker.
But Roberts Centre was extremely high-priced, Baker said, and C-M officials felt the angle there is not good to have all attendees situated on the floor level.
School officials are fine-tuning some details, but the 2020 ceremony will be held in the Clinton-Massie High School gymnasium starting 7 p.m. Friday, May 22.
Asked about the change in policy, a college spokesman said in 2019 the college rented Hermann Court to Clinton-Massie as the venue for the high school’s commencement after a number of years in which the college’s policy was not to provide the facility for any high school commencement ceremonies. College personnel advised Clinton-Massie last summer that WC was reverting to its previous policy.
The spokesman explained the college’s focus is on the core business of servicing WC students and using its resources to ensure it is prepared to meet their needs and expectations. The college still rents facilities to third parties if the size and scope of the occasion fits into what WC’s personnel and facility resources will allow, he added.
Also at Monday’s board of education session, board member and Building & Grounds Committee Chairperson Andy Avery requested that the district seek three cost appraisals for revamping the running track.
“We’re not even sure that we can hold track meets here this year,” said Avery.
In fact, much of the rubber track can by physically lifted up from the underlying asphalt, he said.
Board President Jeremy Lamb said the track has been in poor condition for 10 years but has received a back seat in spending priorities during tight budget years.
An asphalt expert has advised the district that the asphalt underneath the rubber track is in awful shape and will require fixing as well, said Baker.
New school board member Mike Gorman brought up that the parking lot and school boilers are current critical needs, and are expensive to fix.
G&J Pepsi Bottling Co., which has a Wilmington location, has donated a 7o-inch touch screen to be installed outside the high school concessions stand, announced Baker.
“It’s going to be awesome,” said the superintendent, who emphasized no taxpayer dollars will be spent on it.
Via the touch screen, people can access school schedules, district Tweets, Hall of Fame information, record boards, yearbooks, and class composites. With the graduating class composites, you can touch the photographic face of a senior in a class composite photo and then an updated photo of the graduate plus what they’ve been doing since school will pop up.
The school district’s phone system is about 16 years old and a new system will be a very costly expense, said Baker, especially if it includes Voice over Internet Protocol, “but there’s not a chance I’m going to allow our students to be in a class and we can’t make an emergency phone call.”
Clinton-Massie is in its second year in the Business Professionals of America (BPA) program, and this year can point to four students who are BPA state qualifiers: Caroline Rhude in fundamentals of accounting, Nate Baker in banking and finance, Jacob Conard in advanced spreadsheet applications, and Caiden Riggers in PC servicing and troubleshooting.
To be a state qualifier, a student has to place in the top three in his or her testing area.
Chase Kamps is the Rotary Senior of the Month at Clinton-Massie High School. High School Assistant Principal Jay Reynolds said Kamps, who wants to pursue a career in information technology (IT), is known for his honesty, strong character and work ethic.
A Consistently Making A Difference (CMAD) Award was presented to high school educational aide Andrew Hall, who is assigned to assist students with special needs. He also has worked with the band and color guard program. Twenty-five students tried out for the winter guard program.
Reynolds reported to the board that more than 75 Clinton-Massie students in the past month have chosen to visit the Laurel Oaks Career Campus in Wilmington.
The school board passed a resolution opposing the state’s EdChoice voucher program, which the measure refers to as “ill conceived.” Many of the voucher dollars come from public tax revenue that otherwise would go to public school districts.
The resolution, among other things, states the C-M school board believes the EdChoice Voucher Program as it currently exists presents serious constitutional issues regarding the separation of church and state, and regarding the funding of religious institutions with public tax dollars.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
