It’s a Smoke Signals tradition to bring in GRC Principal David Bolen at the beginning of the school year to answer questions about anything and everything. From the perennial problem of smoking to our school’s upcoming test score release and various other subjects, Mr. Bolen was candid and open. Here is our Q&A with Bolen, who is in his seventh year as GRC principal.

What is peanut aware and what does this change in our school?

We have two students now who are severely allergic to peanuts and peanut products. In order to keep these students as safe as possible, we have done away with the peanut products in the cafeteria and in all of the vending machines. We also are asking students to not bring peanut products to school.

What is the possibility of adding cameras in the stairwells to deter students from smoking there?

Right now, the server that controls all the videos is completely maxed out on the number of cameras it can control in the school. If we were to add cameras in the stairwells we would have to lose cameras somewhere else in the school. However, the Clark County Board of Education just approved the BG1 for the building of the athletic school facilities. Part of that project will be to add additional surveillance cameras to the school and that package will hopefully allow us to add the cameras into the stairwells.

It seems we always talk about smoking but it continues to plague us. Is your new plan of opening one bathroom helping?

The issue of smoking in the bathrooms is better than it has been in previous years but it is still not good. If we cut out one place to smoke, they will find another place to do it. The smoke detectors in the bathrooms have not been working, so the next option would be to have someone stay in the bathroom constantly to monitor, but we cannot financially make that happen at this point.

One of the biggest concerns students seem to be expressing is the lack of announcements. How do you respond?

We are trying something different this year. If your email is in infinite campus, you should be getting an email every Friday telling you to check the website because the new announcements have been posted. You can clearly find the announcements at grchs.com by clicking a link that takes you to a multi-page newsletter that is updated every week.

Is there any possibility of having announcements over the intercom in the mornings?

We are willing to do some, but we want to limit them because we don’t want to take up a lot of class time.

Why has there been a change in the dual credit classes that are offered at the school?

Last April, Governor Bevin was making budget cuts on higher education. The agreement that we had with BCTC previously was that they gave dual credit classes completely free to students who met the benchmarks. The only thing students had to pay was$50 at the beginning of the semester for registration fees. Due to the budget cuts, the community college backed out of that deal and said that students would have to pay $441 per dual credit class. Then we pulled out too.

In June, Gov. Bevin announced a huge dual credit scholarship from the Kentucky Higher Ed Assistance Authority. So, students can now get nine hours of dual credit scholarships for $52 per class hour. BCTC then came back and said they would give each junior a dual credit class for free. We decided we were going to bring back the U.S. history dual credit. The EKU Now program remains unchanged and has actually doubled in size this year.

Are we planning to have student government this year?

With the departure of the teacher in charge year before last, student government kind of got tossed into the air and that is why elections happened so late last year. Right now, we are just looking for a teacher sponsor to take it over.

The senior class is the first to go through all four years at the new school. Are there any plans to celebrate that?

We actually discussed this morning that if we get some extra funding we will have some latitude to do a few things. I’ve thought about a potential trip for juniors and seniors. Once I find out more I will come back and talk more in detail about it.

What would you like to tell the Class of 2017?

It’s your senior year. If you have an idea of something you would like to do this year then get a plan together and come talk to me. If it is an idea that is possible and you have a plan and the drive and resources to carry it out, I will help you make it happen.

What was the reasoning for allowing hats to be worn?

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of hats in the building. I grew up in a time where you would take your hat off if you ever entered a house or a building; however, the times have changed and schools have to evolve over the ages. Last year we were
constantly fighting the hat rule but so far this year we haven’t had any problems with it.

How are you planning to make the Wi-Fi better?

Getting a solid, reliable Wi-Fi network is the number one need on my list for this year. I am pushing so hard for this because we are looking to add more devices, maybe three to four more labs. This is a work in progress.

What type of fundraising are we allowed to do in the school?

Any type of fundraising for a school-wide event such as Project Grad or prom has to be approved by the board. Fundraising for a specific class or club has to be brought to me by the teacher sponsor and I have to approve and sign off on it.

Do you think the sleeveless dress code rule could be modified to a two- or three-finger policy?

The problem with changing it to the finger rule is that everyone’s fingers are different sizes. We can’t have any standard as to what two- or three-finger length really means, which is why we can’t have this rule in the school.

What is the possibility of students being able to eat in the Courtyard?

I don’t have any issue with students being able to eat lunch in the Courtyard; however, we have to have some way to limit and control it. Maybe we can use eating in the Courtyard as a reward for good behavior or for good grades. If any students have an idea on how to make this work, they need to come talk to me and I will see if we can make it happen.

Why do we no longer have Itime?

It was a really great program that a lot people started taking advantage of. They weren’t utilizing Itime for what it should have been. For that reason we got rid of it and put ACT prep in its place.

What do you think of the
county’s decision to pursue construction of a walker’s bridge behind the school?

The money to make this bridge comes from a grant, so if the county doesn’t get the grant, the bridge will not happen. The plans started out as just a low-level water bridge that would come out from one of the big streets in Stoney Brook and continue on a path up to the ATC. Now, they are looking at an elevated walking bridge that would extend across the highway. It all depends on the grant.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

That every day is different, which is a great thing, but it also can make my job very challenging. Also, dealing with over 100 employees because there is always a fire somewhere.

What is one thing the students should know about you?

I’m always open to talk. I like to laugh and carry on and have a good time. I take school seriously but I think it should also be a place to have fun.

What is something you want to change at GRC?

I agree with you all that smoking is an issue in this school; however, there is no simple answer to stop smoking in the school all together. Once people found out how to beat the system, it started getting worse. I was the one who advocated for locking the front bathrooms and forcing students to use the cafeteria bathrooms. This way we have more control and it has helped some.

What do you think is the biggest misconception students have about being principal?

The biggest misconception I think students have about me is that I’m mean and hateful when really and truly I’m not. I’m the guy behind the scenes crunching the numbers, working on the curriculum, and pushing the teachers, so I don’t get to see a lot of the students. My door is always open and I’m very willing to talk and work with students on anything.

What will happen if our school becomes Distinguished again this year?

The scores come out soon. If we become Distinguished again, we will have an even bigger and better palooza than we did last year.

What do you want to see more of in the school?

I want to see school spirit pick back up in the school. I know it’s hard because as of now we don’t have a gym to get all of the student body together to have a pep rally or even an assembly. I would like to see the students figure out some things we could do to boost school spirit as we wait for the gym to open.

What is your goal for this year?

My biggest goal for this school year is for GRC to be a top 10 school in the state of Kentucky. If we can get top 10 this year then we will try for top five next year. The teachers and staff at GRC have worked together these past few years
to elevate this school to unprecedented academic levels. We want to continue that climb.