The Aug. 26 Danville Independent Schools Board of Education regular meeting included student recognitions for their accomplishments over the summer, approval of a bid for roof projects at the Danville High School gym and Central Office, a review of the Community Schools Action plans for DHS and Edna L. Toliver Intermediate School, and an announcement about the Arts Hall of Fame.

Student recognitions

 

John W. Bate Middle School students who were recognized were Wolfe Kerbaugh and Brantley Oliver, who both attended the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C. over the summer.

Danville High School students recognized were Anna Sparrow, Abby Sears and Daejah Montgomery.

Sparrow was chosen as one of 40 finalists from 14 states nationwide, and the only individual from Kentucky, to attend the Songbook Academy summer intensive. This event was hosted by GRAMMY nominee Michael Feinstein and the Great American Songbook Foundation and was an opportunity to practice under the guidance of Broadway stars.

Sears was selected alongside 10 other Kentucky public high school students to be part of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE)’s Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council.

Montgomery was recognized for attending the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) over the summer.

Community Schools Action Plans

The DISD received a $1.5 million five-year grant through the Prichard Committee in 2023 to begin the Kentucky Community Schools Initiative in the district. The grant focuses on Toliver and DHS, as they have the largest population of students among the Danville Schools, creating more impact initially.

Full-service Community Schools Director Dakota Yates presented the Community Schools Action Plans for Toliver and DHS to the board on Aug. 26, as well as a condensed version of what the plans entail.

He explained how the action plans will touch on the four pillars of community schools — integrated student supports, expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities, active family and community engagement, and collaborative leadership and practices.

One point he emphasized is that the district has been working directly with students to gather their input on topics such as extracurricular opportunities and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons.

“We’re excited to see what they say and how they inform that work,” he said.

More information about community schools and the initiative, as well as the action plans and how to get involved, can be found at danvilleschools.net/community.

View a quick summary of what the action plans include

 

Roof projects

The board received five bids for construction work on the roofs of the Danville High School gym as well as the Central Office building, and accepted the lowest bid, from a roofing company that has previously done work in the district.

RossTarrant is the architect for the projects.

Work on the roof projects is expected to begin in September and end in December.

Arts Hall of Fame

 

Representatives from the Friends of the Arts announced the inaugural inductees to the Danville Schools Arts Hall of Fame at the meeting, as well as when the induction ceremony will take place.

The inductees, who are either alumni or former arts educators, are:

• Ashley Gorley: DHS class of 1995, songwriter and music publisher
• William Gravely: Danville Schools 1968-1980, faculty
• Larnelle Harris: DHS class of 1965, vocalist and performer
• Heather Henson: DHS class of 1984, author
• Maurice Manning: DHS class of 1984, author and poet
• Janet Nash: choir director and music specialist, Danville Schools 1971-2001
• Frank X. Walker: DHS class of 1979, author and poet, playwright, visual artist

The induction ceremony will take place Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Gravely Hall Performing Arts Center at Danville High School and is open to the public. More information about the Arts Hall of Fame can be found on our website.

Learn more about the Arts Hall of Fame

 

Note: A previous version of this story inaccurately referred to Ashley Gorley as a "vocalist and performer." "Songwriter and music publisher" is a more accurate description, so this story has been updated with this change.