Story and photo by Chris Barber
The Kennett Consolidated School District Board unanimously approved the extension of Superintendent Dusty Blakey’s contract through the academic year ending in 2029 at its meeting on Monday night.

Blakey had no comment following the vote, but the action was greeted with applause from both the board and the members of the audience at the Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center library.

Blakey, 59, came to the district as its eighth superintendent in January of 2020. Six weeks into his tenure he was faced with the challenges of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

After receiving his undergraduate degree from Morgan State University, Blakey obtained a master’s degree in educational leadership and a doctorate in administration and public policy, both from the University of Delaware. In his career he has been a social studies teacher, a wrestling coach and superintendent of the Colonial School District in Delaware.

The board also unanimously approved several resolutions aimed at enhancing the educational programs of the district.

First, Heather Collins, the district’s director of pupil services and supports, requested approval to enter into a three-year contract with Solution Tree of Indiana. The contract with this company provides professional development services like lectures and conferences for the teaching staff and, possibly by request, the school board. The cost for the first year was published on the agenda as $90,387.

Preceding her presentation, several teachers reported on a professional development conference in Minneapolis that 52 of the staff had attended this summer. There they met with other teachers from throughout the nation and said they were inspired by the ideas and problem-solving they participated in while they were there.

Board President Vicki Gehrt voiced approval of staff participating in professional development in dialogue with other educators. She said it moves the educational process forward.

“It trickles down to our kids,” Blakey added.

The second proposal was by communications specialist Nikki Laws for a digital platform called Talking Points.

This platform translates communications between district personnel and families of students who do not speak English. Kennett has a high population of Spanish-speaking families, and adoption of the Talking Points will aid messaging, Laws said.

Families may access it by phone, laptop and email, she added.

 A cost of approximately $18,000 per year to sustain Talking Points after the pilot phase was listed on the published agenda.

The third approval was for a digital platform called Class Intercom. It will coordinate public district messaging and information into one location.

Laws said district messages and publicity from a variety of sources now appear on various Internet locations like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and is somewhat disparate. Class Intercom will “rein in” those various outlets of news items into one consistent place and protect accuracy and liability, she said.

The cost listed for the first year for Class Intercom on the published agenda was $3595.

Later, District CFO Mark Tracy announced the district will hold two Act 34 hearings on Aug. 14 for the public to obtain information about and comment on the construction of the two new elementary schools: New Garden and Greenwood. The hearings will be held at Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center Library, and people who live in the Kennett Consolidated School District may attend. District residents may also offer comments during the meeting and should submit a written request to reserve time during the public comments. Public comments are to be conducted in accordance with Act 34 requirements.

The hearing on the New Garden school is 7 p.m. and will continue until all questions are posed and answered.

The hearing on Greenwood will follow at 8 p.m. or whenever the New Garden meeting is over.