Covington Schools to overhaul middle school to include trades, subject pathways

The Covington Independent Public Schools Board of Education has voted to seek permission from the state to completely redesign the structure of teaching, scheduling and staffing at Holmes Middle School in an effort to bolster both enrollment and academic achievement at the district.

The board unanimously approved the move Thursday night, and statements from previous meetings of the board indicated the members were highly optimistic about the potential of the proposed plan, which would see a “whole school redesign,” said Principal Lee Turner during a presentation on Dec. 4, of the school’s curriculum structure, teaching philosophy, evaluation procedures and staffing framework if approved.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Board Member Kareem Simpson said on Dec. 4. “So, it sounds like you have been listening to us over the last three years, and put everything that we’ve been asking for into this proposal, and I am for it.”