School News from Around Kentucky

Mercer County Coach Arrives Leaving: One day after calling the chance to coach at Mercer “a special opportunity,” Weaver was on his way back to Madisonville after deciding to return to the job he had left behind. ...Weaver had spent the night in Harrodsburg and had met with the Mercer players...and then told Principal Terry Yates Wednesday morning that he had changed his mind. Well, isn't that special. (Advocate-Messenger)

Turmoil plagues Bath Board of Ed: Weeks of sometimes acrimonious debate among members of the Bath County Board of Education have spilled over into a board investigation of the county's weekly newspaper. The board voted 3-2 in May to have its attorney investigate the weekly Bath County News Outlook to see whether the paper had defamed board members in its coverage of the recent disputes. (H-L)

Judge denies change of venue in ex-teacher's sex abuse trial: A Fayette Circuit judge denied a motion Friday to move out of Fayette County the trial of a former Beaumont Middle School science teacher accused of raping and sodomizing two students in the late 1970s...Hubbard is charged with four counts of first-degree sodomy and one count of first-degree rape that stem from accusations from former students Thomas "Beau" Goodman III and Carol Lynne Maner, respectively. Hubbard's trial is scheduled for July 13 and 14. (H-L)

OpEd - Linchpin to education - teaching: After $2 billion in grants to schools yielded almost no improvement in student achievement, the Gates Foundation refocused its efforts this year on what really counts: teaching. This is one point on which research and common sense converge. The only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction. (H-L)

Kentucky schools’ healthy example could shape a national policy: It didn’t seem like a radical idea at the time. First, Ginger Gray, the food service director for Kenton County, Ky., schools, took away fried potato chips, offering students baked versions instead. Next, she phased out fruit drinks such as Kool-Aid in favor of 100 percent juices. She considered serving baked french fries. But they got soggy and unappetizing fast. And there’s one thing that every school food service director knows: You don’t mess with the fries. (WaPo by way of KSBA)

What now for schools in need?: If some of the 4,000 Boone County students who spend at least part of their day in a trailer instead of a classroom have a chance to attend school in a new building, would they really care if money for the project came from a casino in Florence?
Or would they care more about actually attending class in a building instead of a reconfigured mobile home? (Enquirer)

Leestown custodian's murder case waived to grand jury: A Fayette County grand jury will hear the case of a man charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a fellow custodian at Leestown Middle School. Brian Allen McGuire, 27, appeared Monday in district court for a preliminary hearing in the shooting death of José Daniel Donato on June 9. (H-L)

Beshear says cuts won’t come until mid-July: A new fiscal year begins Wednesday but state agencies won’ t know until mid-July how deep they must cut their budgets to balance the budget, Gov. Steve Beshear said Monday. (Bluegrass Politics)

Hat tip to KSBA.