By Monroe Roark
Times Correspondent

  High school seniors in the Henry County School System probably have had their graduation date circled on their calendars for quite some time, but school officials were reminded of it this past week at the monthly Board of Education meeting and study session.

  Graduation for all ten of the district’s senior classes will be Friday, May 31. Patrick Henry High School graduates will convene at 1 p.m. at the Henry County Performing Arts Center. All other ceremonies will be that evening at their respective stadiums. Ola and Union Grove are set to begin at 7:30 p.m. and Luella will start at 8 p.m. All others will begin at 7 p.m.

  Should inclement weather postpone these events, they would take place the following day - Saturday, June 1 - at either 10 a.m. or 7 p.m.

  Some of Henry County's best and brightest seniors will gather in two weeks for the annual STAR Breakfast, at which time the county's STAR Student and STAR Teacher are announced. Representatives from all of the county’s public high schools as well as several private schools will meet Thursday, February 28, at 8 a.m. at Eagle’s Landing Country Club for the event.

  In other Board of Education business this month, it was announced that student and employee handbooks have been revised and are up for annual review, as is customary every year between February and May.

  This includes the elementary student handbook, secondary student handbook, certified employee handbook, classified employee handbook, substitute teacher handbook, and bus driver handbook.

  Parents, students, and employees are encouraged to submit comments and suggestions to Leslie Cheatwood, coordinator of administrative services, at leslie.cheatwood@henry.k12.ga.us.

  Other updated policies on such matters as non-resident students and meeting rules of order were designated for 30 days of public review and comment. All such policies can be viewed on the school system’s web site.

  The board approved an updated agreement with Schoolwires for operation of the web site and other technological services, at a cost of $57,205.

  There was no discussion by the board at Monday night’s meeting of the recent food fight at Ola High School and subsequent disciplinary action. One citizen signed up for public comment and addressed that issue, expressing his disagreement with the way school system officials handled the episode and the severity of the punishment. His comments were received with applause from about a dozen members of the audience, although no one on the board commented.

   A special called meeting will be held Tuesday, February 19 to address student disciplinary appeals, and Superintendent Dr. Ethan Hildreth informed the board that another such meeting would be necessary the last week of February before the board's regular March study session.

  When asked how many students involved in the Ola incident would be filing appeals, Hildreth said it was not yet known.

  Agendas and documents relating to all Board of Education meetings can be accessed at www.henry.k12.ga.us