Robbinsville – Graham County Schools custodians – and some students – are busy getting school facilities ready for Monday, Aug. 22, the first day of school.
At Tuesday’s board of education meeting, it was noted that custodians are busy stripping and waxing floors, while team athletes are helping clean up the Robbinsville High School gymnasium following renovation work at the gym, including a new paint scheme and a new floor.
Technical staff are also installing additional wireless access points in the schools to improve internet connectivity.
A new addition at Robbinsville Middle School is nearing completion with classes expected to start there by October. Robbinsville Middle School expects an enrollment of 272 students this fall.
The project has gone over budget, however and superintendent Angie Knight said she expects she will have to come back to the school board – as well as the Graham County Board of Commissioners – to come up with more money for the project.
The district is also struggling to buy furnishings for the new building, due to COVID-19-related shortages.
At Robbinsville Elementary School, someone broke the glass on one door, leading to a replacement door that will provide the school better security.
Other news and notes
* Robbinsville Elementary School art teacher Lynn Lynn is credited with saving a student’s life. Lynn was teaching summer school when she noticed one of the students experiencing signs of distress. Things escalated from there and Lynn jumped in and performed the Heimlich maneuver on the child. No further details about the incident were released, but Lynn was recognized by the school board and given a gift certificate to buy school supplies for her classroom. After receiving the certificate, she asked if she could update the board about her summer classes. She said 25 pupils attended every day during the summer session.
* Transportation Director Chris McClung updated the board about the status of the school district’s bus fleet and ridership. Ridership was increasing at the close of last school year, he said. He expects the trend to continue and added that the district still needs bus drivers. So far, Graham County Schools has been able to keep all its routes open. The district has also acquired a new activity bus and is applying for a grant to buy two more activity buses and three yellow buses, thanks to a settlement with Volkswagen following its scandal involving VW diesel engines. The district’s transportation department is the second-highest scoring school district in the state following an inspection, he said – second only to Alleghany County Schools.
* Registration for Robbinsville High School students who will be attending Tri-County Community College will register Aug. 8-10. Classes start Aug. 15.