Board of Education sets HCHS graduation date, hears presentations on student performance

The Hancock County High School graduation date was approved by the Hancock County Board of Education during its regular monthly meeting Thursday, March 26. The ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, May 22 at HCHS.

As HCHS seniors get ready to cross the graduation stage and take their next steps, Principal Ginger Estes presented last year’s Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) accountability results to the board.

HCHS’s 2025 KSA accountability scores show the school performing near the top of its peers statewide, with an overall score of 77 and a graduation rate of 94.7 percent. Students posted proficiency rates of 78 percent in reading and 74 percent in math and earned a combined 1,849 college and vocational hours, reflecting strong participation in advanced coursework and career pathways.

State rankings place the high school in the top 10 percent of Kentucky schools in math, ranking 20th out of 228, the top 15 percent in combined writing at 40th and the top 35 percent in reading at 77th. The school received a green rating — the second-highest level — under the state’s color-coded accountability system, with scores of 73.8 in reading and math, 55.1 in science, social studies and writing and 66.2 in quality of school climate and safety.

Postsecondary readiness was a particular strength, rated very high at 99.8, indicating that nearly all students met the state’s benchmarks for life after graduation. Under the accountability model, however, the 94.7 percent graduation rate is classified as medium because Kentucky’s ratings factor in year-over-year change and subgroup performance in addition to the raw percentage.

In addition to leading a high-performing school, Estes serves on the Kentucky Department of Education Commissioner’s Principal Advisory Council, a small statewide group of principals who provide direct input to the commissioner on challenges such as student achievement, school climate and support for school leaders. Her three-year appointment gives Hancock County a voice in statewide discussions about policy and practice, and she has said she hopes to share the district’s strengths while learning from other schools to help students and staff continue to grow.

Before becoming an educator, Estes served on active duty in the U.S. Army. After earning a master’s degree in English, she taught middle school language arts for 10 years. Upon the completion of her leadership certification, she has led as HCHS principal since 2017, and said she feels blessed to work with supportive board members, central office staff and colleagues as they continue to build opportunities for students.

HCHS Assistant Principal Wes Meserve followed Estes’ presentation with an overview of recent student accomplishments. Meserve, HCHS special education specialist and cross country and track coach, highlighted leadership and career-readiness opportunities through groups such as Future Business Leaders of America and Technology Student Association.

The HCHS FBLA chapter earned several top finishes at the 2026 Region 2 Spring Leadership Conference on Feb. 27 at Western Kentucky University. Students advanced to state in agribusiness, computer problem solving, event planning, graphic design, personal finance, sales presentation and talent show. Tyce Boling was elected Region 2 vice president for the 2026-27 school year and will represent Hancock County as the Region 2 officer.

FBLA advisor and HCHS business and marketing teacher Lori Beth Shultz Roberts said she is proud of the students’ accomplishments and noted that FBLA is not a class, so all competition work is completed on the students’ own time as they build skills in networking, public speaking, self-initiative and organization. Students are now preparing for the Kentucky FBLA State Leadership Conference held in Louisville April 27-29.

HCHS Technology Student Association members took part in the 2026 TSA Regional Conference at Murray State University on Feb. 26 during the university’s Engineering Day. Led by HCHS engineering teacher Lisa Banta, students competed in events such as CO2 dragster design, computer-aided drafting, engineering design, PVC kayak, robotics and structural design.

This year’s theme was “Engineering the Past,” and asked students to explore how engineers preserve, restore and update historic structures and materials. While HCHS did not place this year, Banta said they gained hands-on experience in design, prototyping and testing, with the goal of refining their projects in preparation for the TSA state conference in Louisville March 16-18.

The board approved Chief Financial Officer Trey Anderson as the district’s official designee responsible for overseeing board records, formalizing who serves as custodian of those documents under Kentucky law. In that role, he will coordinate how board records are maintained, stored and produced to help safeguard compliance with Kentucky’s Open Records Act and state records-retention rules for public school districts.

Kentucky public agencies, including school boards, are required to adopt policies for handling public records and to identify an official custodian or designee who responds to open records requests. As the records designee, Anderson will be the point person for receiving and responding to those requests, working with staff to locate records, apply the state’s retention schedule and protect the security and integrity of the board’s official documents.

Chief Financial Officer Trey Anderson reported a beginning balance of $4,717,269.89 for the month. The district received $2,531,215.76 and recorded expenditures of $1,227,298.49, ending the month with a balance of $5,996,177.42.