Fayette County Board hears detailed plan for Mary E. Britton Middle School ahead of June opening
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Summary
District staff presented academic pathways, community partnerships and extracurricular plans for Mary E. Britton Middle School, the first new Fayette County middle school in 21 years, and answered board questions about credits and programming.
The Fayette County Board of Education on Monday received a detailed update on Mary E. Britton Middle School, including planned career pathways, community partnerships and a list of first-year course offerings as the district prepares to open the new middle school.
Dave Hoskins, a district presenter on the project, said the school will honor its namesakeDr. Mary Brittonby offering career pathways in medical and health sciences, agricultural science, family and consumer sciences, and by ensuring every student has access to at least one high school credit during their middle school years. "We will expose students to health and medical career pathways through unique partnerships," Hoskins said, adding the school will align its CTE offerings with Frederick Douglass High School.
The update said Mary E. Britton will partner with Baptist Health for a health and medical science pathway, Kentucky State University and the University of Kentucky to support agricultural programming, Benchmark Mortgage for financial-literacy support, Macedonia Christian Church for youth-service-center supplies, and with Costco and Martin and Bailey Inc. for incentives. The Whitaker Family YMCA will help establish a soccer program and after-school activities.
District presenters listed initial CTE offerings that will be available in year one: agricultural science, health and medical science (including a principles of health science course), family and consumer science, and principles of nursing/health (including CPR and first-aid training). Fine-arts and language offerings will include band, chorus, orchestra, Spanish I and II, and visual and digital arts. The presentation said the building includes facilities to support athletics and arts, and noted Mary E. Britton has the district's largest middle-school gym and the only middle-school football field with lights.
Board members asked for clarification on how pathways will be introduced across grades. Hoskins said sixth graders will have nine-week exploratory electives, seventh graders will move into semester-long (18-week) courses that can include industry certifications such as CPR and ServSafe, and in high school those courses would become year-long, credit-bearing classes. "Thus every student at Mary E. Britton would have access to high school credit courses," Hoskins said.
Board members also praised the emphasis on civic engagement and connections to feeder high schools. Hoskins described the school's foundation statements as: career pathways tied to the namesake's medical work; equal access to high-school credit; civic engagement opportunities; and school pride and belonging.
Hoskins closed by thanking district leadership and invited the board to attend a dedication ceremony planned for June 12. He also requested five additional staff positions be made available for the first year.
The board did not take further action on the presentation; the project update was accepted as information.
