By Alan Reed

A Kentucky Dept. of Education official said a midnight meeting is not needed to help Marshall County Schools to qualify for a $10,000 grant.

The grant is offered as an incentive to the first 57 school districts that increase their high school dropout age from 16 to 18.

A new state law says districts may change the age voluntarily until 55 percent of all districts change.  At that point, all districts will be required to increase the dropout age to 18 within four years.

At its May 16 meeting, the Board of Education scheduled a specially-called meeting at 12:01 a.m. on June 25, the first day it could adopt the new drop-out age.  The meeting was scheduled at that hour in the event the vote would be time-stamped, and the district faced competition for the money with other schools.

“The grants are on a first-come, first-serve basis and that is determined by when a district uploads its information starting on June 26,” said Nancy Rodriguez, of the Kentucky Department of Education.  “What time a school board acts on a new compulsory attendance policy on June 25 is not a factor in applying for the grant.”

Rodriguez said districts would receive an electronic form on June 26 to indicate a change in policy.  It would allow districts to attach supporting documentation, like meeting minutes.  She did not anticipate receiving more than 57 forms.

“A midnight meeting won’t change anything,” Rodriguez added.

Marshall Schools Superintendent Trent Lovett said he did not know how grants would be awarded if the state received more than 57 applications at the same time.

“I’m kind of sad that they dangled this carrot under our noses, only to have it potentially taken away,” Lovett said.  “Then again, if they went with midnight meetings, the schools in the Eastern Time Zone might have had an advantage.  If 57 schools in the eastern part of the state voted yes, we might not have gotten it anyway.”

Lovett said he would schedule a special meeting on June 25 or add the item to the July meeting agenda.  The next regular meeting date is June 20.

“I’ve spoken to several superintendents about passing the measure,” Lovett said.  “Some boards want to wait and see the effects.  Others are like us and are ready to pass the measure and move on.”

Lovett said he supports the measure because he believes it to be in the best interests of students.

“I don’t think we can allow 16-year-olds to make decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives,” Lovett said.  “I hear former students say they wish they stayed in all the time.  They don’t realize the impact of their decisions.”