Clay County Schools choose 2021-2022 school calendar
Clay County Schools, News March 29, 2021
HAYESVILLE, NC – Clay County School Board approved option two for the 2021-2022 school calendar during the March meeting.
Option two aligns Spring Break 2022 with other school districts in the area including Cherokee, Graham, and Swain counties. It also falls on the week before Easter. The Friday, April 8 before Spring Break week will be included and Friday, April 15 will be listed as the Good Friday holiday.
The Fall Semester will be 81 days and the Spring Semester will be 97 days for a total of 178 student days. The reason for the shorter Fall Semester is so testing can be completed before the December holidays.
16 staff workdays, 10 annual leave days, and 11 holidays are included in the calendar.
The first day of school is scheduled for August 23, 2021.
The 2021 graduation plan was also approved for Friday, June 4 at 6 p.m. at the football field. The outdoor location will allow for more people to participate in the ceremony. If it rains on Friday, then Saturday will be the new date.
Budget Proposal
Clay County Schools plans to ask the county for $250,000 in additional funds for preventative and routine maintenance. The school district will need to present its budget plan to the county commission before approval. Capital outlay funds requests for 2021/2022 total $283,566 and include $52,800 for the old elementary school demo, $15,425 for a fire alarm system in the middle school gym, $18,557 to replace tiles in the kitchen and dining area, $93,094 for paving and grading the rock gym parking areas, and $103,690 for middle school gym floor replacement.
The reason for the increase in capital outlay projects from the county is the school system can’t receive state lottery funds for five years because of the new primary school. Clay County Schools is currently two years into the five.
Hayesville High School graduation scheduled for July 24
Clay County Schools, Community, News June 30, 2020
HAYESVILLE, N.C. – In the June 25 Clay County Schools Board of Education meeting, Hayesville High School (HHS) Principal Jim Saltz discussed graduation plans for July 24 at 6 p.m.
Each HHS graduate can bring four guests to the ceremony at Frank R. Long Football stadium. Seniors will sit socially distanced on the football field, and guests will receive assigned seating in the stands. All students and guests must wear masks. The students’ masks will feature the HHS logo.
The school opted for a balloon release instead of throwing caps, and a parade around the square will take place after the ceremony.
Students who cannot attend will have a personalized ceremony that will live-streamed. The hybrid baccalaureate, awards, and scholarship service were all previously broadcast.
Saltz gave graduation and end of year update over a live stream meeting.
Clay County Sheriff’s Office provided Senior yard signs and the large signage on the square. HHS Journalism class created the senior spotlight features.
71 percent of the 2020 seniors earned at least one job certification through the Career Technical Education Program. 34 percent received more than one nationally recognized job certification.
80 percent of the class earned a Silver level or better on the ACT WorkKeys exam. The exam focused on career-readiness of students and trainability.
“Really great job of our seniors showing that they are career-ready,” said Superintendent Dale Cole.
College-ready seniors accepted over 95 scholarships. 29 percent graduated with honors, 25 percent were N.C. scholars, and 17 percent were Presidential scholars.
The 2020 graduating class earned the largest number of college degrees ever at HHS. Five students graduated with a two-year degree and a high school diploma. Also, 41 percent graduated with at least one college credit.
“We’re going to see that number continue to grow each year. I also think we’re going to see the number of nationally recognized job certifications grow each year because really, they need both. It’s college and career ready, not college or career ready,” stated Cole.
Cole presented the 2020 senior statistics.
The rain dates for the graduation ceremony are July 25 and July 26. Prom’s currently on hold, but the school plans to hold it at a later date.
HHS 9-11 Students
As for the 9-11 students, the Tiger Team contacted most of the individuals to discuss options for 2019-2020 grades.
“A student was allowed to choose a COVID-19 grade that would not affect their GPA or a traditional grade, which would affect their GPA,” explained HHS Principal Jim Saltz.
Also, 90 percent of the 2020-2021 students have registered for classes. TCC advisement and intern placements are also underway.
All six CNA students passed their CNA certification examination on June 25, 2020.
Two FBLA students Tia Proctor and Virginia Sumpter came in 14th place in the national competition.