Lexington School Family,

The snow this morning was pretty, but it also signaled it was time to remind our school community what our procedures are for winter calamity days. If we have inclement weather overnight or early in the morning, our Transportation Director, Brenda Welsh, Assistant Superintendent, Kevin Young, Athletics/Activites Director, Jeff Eichorn, and I will drive various roads within our district to assess road conditions. Frequently, the roads that are most problematic are back or side roads, and areas that are not plowed or treated early in the morning.

Our first decision regarding cancellation or delay needs to be made by 6:00 am. The team and I will be in communication regarding the road conditions from 5:15 am until the decision is made. We want to make the decision to delay or cancel as early as is possible (between 5:30-5:45 is our goal because our first buses head out by 6:15 am). If we decide on a two-hour delay, we will need to determine if we will continue with the delay or to cancel by 8:00 am. The team and I will be driving our areas of the district again, prior to discussing the conditions at 7:15 am, until we decide what we need to do (between 7:30-7:45 is our goal at this point).

While school decisions are often made based on the road conditions in our district, severe wind chill temperatures will also be a factor in deciding to delay or cancel school. Wind chill temperatures hovering in the -20 range are cause for safety concerns. The safety of everyone coming to our buildings is the priority. This includes students riding our buses, students and staff driving to school, parents bringing children to school, and students who walk to school.

Please remember that the quickest way for parents and staff to receive information regarding a delay or cancellation is to register for our Alert system, which can be found on the District website under the Parents & Students tab, or to register for the WMFD Alert system by following links on the WMFD website. We will also use our alert system to communicate information information and reminders throughout the school year.

Thank you for your continued support of Lexington Local Schools.

Jeremy Secrist
Superintendent

Lexington School Family,

Below is this month’s installment of the construction update for our 7-12 building project. Thank you for your continued support of our schools.

Jeremy Secrist
Superintendent

Concrete
• Junior High second story concrete floor pour is complete

Masonry
• Junior High east wall CMU veneer is complete
• Junior High second floor interior CMU wall construction ongoing
• High School and Junior High east wall brick veneer ongoing

Structural Steel
• Student Dining Area structural steel installation is complete
• Student Dining Area structural steel and decking installations is complete

Roofing
• Music Rooms roof detailing is complete
• Junior High roof detailing is complete
• Junior High Gymnasium roof detailing is complete
• High School Gymnasium roof detailing is complete
• Auxiliary Gymnasium roof detailing is complete
• Junior High roofing system installation ongoing
• Board Offices high and low roof system installations ongoing

Plumbing & Electric
• Gas service to the building is complete
• High School first and second floor in-wall mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) rough-ins are complete
• High School first and second floor overhead and in-wall MEP rough-ins ongoing
• Junior High Air Handling Unit installations are complete
• Rooftop HVAC unit installations are complete
• Electric service to the building is complete
• Junior High in-wall and overhead MEP rough-ins ongoing
• Junior High gymnasium overhead MEP rough-ins ongoing
• Main gymnasium overhead MEP installations ongoing
• Auxiliary gymnasium overhead MEP installations ongoing

Carpentry
• Junior High window installations is complete
• Junior High exterior wall framing is complete
• High School second floor insulation and drywall installations ongoing
• Music rooms doors and windows installations ongoing
• Performing Arts Center partition wall framing ongoing

Lexington School Community,

Thank you for your continued support of Lexington Local Schools, and for the efforts undertaken to prioritize in-person learning. Over the past seven weeks we have seen a reduction in positive COVID cases from an average of 46 in the first three weeks, to an average of just 7. We have been able to keep our staff healthier, and the average illness related absence rate for students district wide is 4.5% over the six-week period from September 20th through October 29th. More students have been in classrooms with staff members who care about their education and well-being, and growth and learning are occurring.

During this same time, we have seen a decrease in new COVID cases in Richland County. From September 10th through October 22nd there has been a 39% decrease in new cases. Additionally, booster shots are available for any educators who wish to receive them, and vaccines are now available for students aged 5-11 whose parents elect that option. The release of long-awaited changes to quarantine protocols last week, combined with an improvement in the school and community data, allows us to return to optional masking with the adoption of the new quarantine guidelines, “Mask to Stay, Test to Play.”

Thursday (11/4) evening, the board voted to approve a return to optional masking, and to adopt the new quarantine guidelines. These changes take effect immediately. The new guidelines will allow students to stay involved in school and extracurriculars following a school related COVID exposure and will utilize masking and testing to do so. Please see the hyperlink above for information on the new quarantine guidelines.

As we approach traditional cold and flu season during our current pandemic, we encourage parents and families to monitor the health of their students, and to make decisions to ensure your students and families stay healthy; this may be vaccination, boosters, masking, and/or increased focus on hygiene. As a school, we will continue to monitor student and staff health, request symptomatic students stay home, and to encourage distancing where possible combined with good student hygiene.

Thank you for your support of the students and staff of Lexington Local Schools.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Secrist
Superintendent

Kevin Young
Assistant Superintendent

Dear Guardians:

As many of you know, Lexington Local Schools is currently on a bus driver shortage for the 2021-22 school year. The transportation department would like to share the current plan, if your child’s bus driver is unavailable and no other substitutes are available to drive their route, on a specific morning or afternoon.

You will receive a text alert from the school informing parents that their child will be late getting to school and/or coming home. If you have not signed-up for the district text alerts, please find it on our website under the “parents and students” tab.

The first available bus driver that completes their route will go back out to finish the route for the driver that was unavailable that day. Unfortunately, this will take some time and your child will be either late coming to school or late being dropped off after school. We will work as quickly and safely as possible to transport your child to and from school.

If you would rather pick up your child or drop them off to school that day, that is certainly an option to ensure they are not late. However, we ask that you contact your building’s main office to communicate that decision.

Please contact the bus garage if you would be interested in becoming a substitute bus driver at 419-884-2349. Free training would be available for those who qualify.

Thank you for entrusting us to transport your child every day.

Sincerely,

Brenda Welsh
Transportation Director

Lexington Schools is transitioning to FinalForms for online forms (emergency,medical,etc.) instead of the paper packet that is typically sent home at the start of the school year.

To register a new student, please click on the following link: Lexington FinalForms

If your student is already attending Lexington and you have not received an email confirmation from FinalForms, please call your student's building so the secretaries can update your email address in the FinalForms system. Once your email address has been entered, you will receive a confirmation email from FinalForms to create an account.

Attached are the most recent renderings from TDA of the 7-12 building project. PDF version is also available by clicking on the following link: 7-12 Building Project Renderings

Food Service - 2 Hour General Help

The Food Service Department is seeking a 2-hour general help (Monday-Friday). If you have any questions regarding the responsibilities, expectations, or the compensation for the position, please contact Tricia Volz, Food Service Director at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 419-989-0611.

4-Hr Bus Driver

Lexington Local Schools has a 4-hr bus driver opening available immediately. Please call 419-884-2349. Lexington is also in need of substitute bus drivers. We will do all the training at the bus garage. Call for an application and more information.

Substitutes

Please see the links below to view Lexington's Extended Learning Plan and Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan.

Extended Learning Plan

Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan

2021-2022 Board Approved Calendar

2022-2023 Board Approved Calendar

Best advice is if you approach, from either direction, a school bus stopped on or along the road, for any reason, with or without its lights flashing STOP.

We must all do our part of keep our precious children safe on their way to and from school each day. No one should be in such a hurry to jeopardize children's safety.