School Board Accepts New Scholarship Honoring Former Warren County High School Student

A new scholarship accepted with gratitude by the Warren County School Board at its May 15 meeting honors a former high school student who passed away last summer.

School Board members Chair Kristen Pence, Vice Chair Antoinette Funk, and members Andrea Lo and Melanie Salins voted 4-0 to accept the new scholarship opportunity that begins with the Class of 2024 at Warren County High School in the amount of $500. Board member Tom McFadden, Jr., was absent.

Called For the Love of Josh Scholarship, the award honors Joshua Braden Lillard, who died by suicide on August 19, 2023. He was a senior at Warren County High School.

Dorothy Hicks, above at the podium, presents the For the Love of Josh Scholarship to the School Board on May 15 in honor of her son, Josh Lillard. WCPS Assistant Superintendent Heather Bragg stands nearby.

Since Josh’s death, his mother, Dorothy Hicks, told the School Board that a big part of her family came together and formed a nonprofit organization, also called For the Love of Josh.

“We want to support other teens and give to other teens, plus much more,” she said. “We greatly appreciate all of the community, especially Warren County, for everything that they have done for me and my family and for Josh. They were there for me before he did this and tried to help me with him.”

Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Heather Bragg thanked Josh’s family “for their time, contribution, and support of Warren County High School graduates.”

In other action during the board’s meeting on Wednesday, the Warren County School Board approved changes to Codes GDBD-R Support Staff Leave and Absences, and GCBD-R Professional Staff Leave and Absences to reflect the school division’s sick leave payout incentive.

Originally presented during the board’s March 20 meeting, this was the third and final reading of the teacher and instructional assistant sick leave payout incentive changes, according to WCPS Personnel Director Jody Lee.

Specifically, regarding the Support Staff Leave and Absences, instructional assistants in WCPS will be eligible to opt in to receive payment of unused sick leave. The eligibility requirements include: having a sick leave minimum balance of 31 days at the beginning of the school year; balance requirements of a minimum of 30 days after payout; a payout minimum of one day with a maximum of 10 days; and an opt-in form completed by August 31, according to the code change.

“Eligible instructional assistants will receive $50 per unused sick day at the end of the current school year in July,” said Lee, who clarified that the changes will be in effect for the next school year, not during the 2023-2024 school year.

Then, regarding Professional Staff Leave and Absences, sick leave payout will be available for: qualified classroom teachers in pre-K through 12th grade, special education teachers, ELL teachers, and athletic trainers, said Lee, adding that these listed qualified teachers are eligible to opt in to receive payment of unused sick leave.

Eligibility requirements, according to the code change, include: a sick leave minimum balance of 31 days at the start of the school year; balance requirements minimum 30 days after payout; payout minimum of one day and a max of 10 days; and a completed opt-in form by August 31.

Eligible qualified teachers will receive $100 per unused sick day at the end of the school year in July, said Lee, again clarifying that this is for the next school year.

Lee also provided payout leave examples. For instance, an instructional assistant would bring home $32.30 for one day leave paid; would bring home $161.50 for five days leave paid; and would bring home $323 for 10 days leave paid.

Meanwhile, teachers would bring home $64.60 for one day leave paid; $323 for five days leave paid; and $646 for 10 days leave paid.

On Wednesday the board also held a work session, which the Royal Examiner also covered in another story. The School Board’s next regular meeting will be held on June 5.

Video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.