Harrison County administrators outline steps, challenges as Liberty and RCB prepare to merge

Administrators for the planned consolidation of Liberty High School and Robert Seaburger provided the Harrison County Board of Education an update on preparations, saying they expect total enrollment between 900 and 1,000 students and that much of the remaining work centers on finalizing special-education schedules and classroom assignments.

The update, delivered during the board’s special recognitions and presentations period, outlined steps taken this year including joint faculty meetings, shared student activities, walkthroughs of the new building, master-schedule drafting and cross-training of administrators. Officials said they plan a move-up day for incoming students on April 29, when scheduling paperwork and tours will be provided.

Board members and administrators stressed the magnitude of the transition and described how administrators plan to divide responsibilities by topic (for example, AP courses, dual credit and state testing) rather than by grade level. The administration said it is keeping special-education scheduling a top priority because those placements must be integrated into the master schedule before final classroom assignments can be made.

Administrators said they have engaged a consultant to guide leadership work and help build a cohesive administrative team for the merged school. The consultant’s role, as described during the meeting, has included workshops with administrators focused on leadership, problem anticipation and transition planning.

Speakers described staffing and facility work already completed: master-schedule drafts, classroom assignments for most subjects and an organizational chart assigning administrators duties aligned to their strengths (for example, one administrator assigned to English/reading, another to science and social studies). Administrators said they distributed course-request sheets to incoming students and met with feeder elementary and middle schools to collect information needed for scheduling.

Administrators cautioned that some items remain pending, particularly some special-education placements and final room assignments; they said those items were expected to be finished soon. They also emphasized the need for cross-training so administrators can substitute for one another if needed during the first year of the consolidated school.

The update included discussion of discipline, attendance and safety as operational priorities for the larger student body. Presenters said additional administrative staff at the start of the transition is intended to ensure “eyes on students” and to provide capacity for daily operational issues.

Board members had questions about enrollment and operations. Administrators reiterated that current enrollment data indicate the consolidated high school will be “a little less than a thousand” students and that final counts will firm up as registrations are processed.

The presentation closed with an appeal for continued trust and patience from staff and the school community as administrators finish schedules and logistical tasks ahead of the August opening.