Due to hazardous conditions on campus, and continued severe weather, Berea Community Schools will be closed on Jan. 29th, and 30th.
These will be our 8th & 9th NTI Days.
📸 Share the snow fun!
If any students or staff have photos from the snowfall, snowmen, snow angels, sledding, or other winter fun, email them to luke.seals@berea.kyschools.us. We’d love to feature them on our Facebook page!
⚠️ Please remember to stay safe
Students should complete their NTI assignments from home, and teachers will be available throughout the day to provide support as needed. For questions or updates, students and families can check Google Classroom or Class Dojo, or reach out directly to their teachers.
Stay warm and safe, Pirates! ☃️
Due to hazardous road conditions, Berea Community Schools will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026
This will be our 7th NTI Day.
📸 Share the snow fun!
If any students or staff have photos from the snowfall, snowmen, snow angels, sledding, or other winter fun, email them to luke.seals@berea.kyschools.us. We’d love to feature them on our Facebook page!
⚠️ Please remember to stay safe
Students should complete their NTI assignments from home, and teachers will be available throughout the day to provide support as needed. For questions or updates, students and families can check Google Classroom or Class Dojo, or reach out directly to their teachers.
Stay warm and safe, Pirates! ☃️
School Closed – Tuesday, Jan. 27 ❄️
Due to severe ice and snow accumulations and hazardous road conditions, Berea Community Schools will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 27..
This will be our sixth NTI Day.
📸 Share the snow fun!
If any students or staff have photos from the snowfall, snowmen, snow angels, sledding, or other winter fun, email them to luke.seals@berea.kyschools.us. We’d love to feature them on our Facebook page!
⚠️ Please remember to stay safe
Students should complete their NTI assignments from home, and teachers will be available throughout the day to provide support as needed. For questions or updates, students and families can check Google Classroom or Class Dojo, or reach out directly to their teachers.
Stay warm and safe, Pirates! ☃️
Due to severe ice and snow accumulations and hazardous road conditions, Berea Community Schools will be closed on Monday, Jan. 26.
This will be our fifth NTI Day.
📸 Share the snow fun!
If any students or staff have photos from the snowfall, snowmen, snow angels, sledding, or other winter fun, email them to luke.seals@berea.kyschools.us. We’d love to feature them on our Facebook page!
⚠️ Please remember to stay safe
Students should complete their NTI assignments from home, and teachers will be available throughout the day to provide support as needed. For questions or updates, students and families can check Google Classroom or Class Dojo, or reach out directly to their teachers.
Stay warm and safe, Pirates! ☃️
Our Elementary Pirates had an absolute blast today at Treasure Day! 🏴☠️
All day long, our elementary Pirates enjoyed a rotation of activities in Conkin Gym as a reward for their fantastic second grading period. From games and musical chairs to tricycle races and trading plastic “doubloons” for snacks and prizes, everyone had an amazing time. I mean, who could forget that bouncy slide?
A huge thank-you to our high school helpers for handing out treats and supervising activities, and to our incredible elementary staff for keeping everything running smoothly.
It was a great day to be a Pirate all around the school!
We understand that delays or closures don’t always match between districts, and that can raise questions in our community. Here’s why:
Each school district is responsible for making safety decisions based on the students, staff, roads, and communities it serves.
Madison County Schools covers a very large geographic area, including rural and outlying communities. Their decision-making must account for hundreds of miles of roads, many narrow, hilly, or rural, that may be impacted differently by weather conditions.
Berea Independent Schools serves a smaller, more concentrated area within the city of Berea. Our transportation routes, road conditions, and emergency response access are different, and conditions in Berea may be safe and passable even when other parts of the county are not.
That said, we always consider the commute of staff and students who live outside district boundaries.
Our administrative team closely monitors local weather data, consults transportation staff and road crews, and evaluates conditions specific to Berea. All decisions are made with student and staff safety as our top priority.
Today, in celebration of School Board Appreciation Month, we're taking a moment to spotlight our outstanding Board Vice Chair, Sarah Rohrer.
Sarah has made Berea, KY her home for 10 years. She is the product of Kentucky Public Schools in Louisville, KY, where she grew up. Building community and supporting (often underserved) populations feels like the heart of her professional career. Now, at Berea College, she supports students in their college success. She and her husband, Dan, are the proud parents of two current Berea Pirates.
Coming to Berea as a parent without a traditional K–12 background was an adjustment, but one that left a lasting impression.
"Everyone in the school is deeply invested. Everybody knows each other. I didn't have a K-12 experience, so it's still a little bit unusual for me. But I appreciate that my kids have a higher level of investment because they also know all of the staff and the faculty and the other students."
Sarah has found that one of the greatest strengths of that K–12 experience is its ability to see students as whole individuals. Teachers can build meaningful relationships with students both personally and academically, allowing for intentional, personalized support that helps shape well-rounded, confident, and prepared graduates.
"I think that when Berea Community is at its best, it has the right balance of investing in students as people, and also as learners. I appreciate that students can be themselves and learners at the same time."
As both a Board member and a parent, Sarah has experienced BCS from every angle. Some of her favorite memories come from the quieter, more lighthearted moments, like getting lost in the building's circular hallways during family engagement nights. Truly a right of passage for any Pirate parents.
“I love the family engagement nights. I love that parents are invited in and immediately get lost because of all the circles. And then the kids are just completely amused that their parents are lost, and they're like, ‘I know the way. Come on, follow me.’ I enjoy those evening chaos sessions. I’ve just learned to keep walking in circles.”
And of course, there was her unforgettable ride atop the fire truck during this fall’s Homecoming Parade, which she said was a big moment, no doubt. "And my children approved it. I asked for permission in advance."
Sarah first became involved as a parent wanting to better support her children and strengthen communication with the school system. That led her to the School Board, where she found a meaningful and tangible way to serve.
"When we started at Berea, I wanted to be an engaged parent, but I didn’t know how to navigate that. That was a constant struggle. And then we had this sudden 4 days school week potential blow up, and I ultimately took over for Rebecca Blankenship on the School Board. And I thought, well, I'm trying to figure out what's my role in being invested in this school and that seemed like the way to do it. Serving on the Board has been a lot of education, but I appreciate feeling like I have a concrete way to be invested.”
Through challenging times, Sarah has become a trusted voice and a listening ear for many in the community.
"I appreciate that people are willing to speak to me. I am honored to be what I hope is a trusted source of information, but also a listening ear. The time that I've been here has been difficult and I think people have trusted me with their challenges during difficult times."
We'd like to extend our sincere appreciation to Sarah Rohrer and the rest of our dedicated School Board members for their service to Berea Community Schools. We’ll continue sharing Board Member spotlights throughout next week in celebration of School Board Appreciation Month!
🎯 Congratulations, Berea Archers! 🎯
We’re proud of our Berea Archers for their outstanding performance at the Berea Pirates State Qualifier!
-Austin King: 1st place HS boys & top overall male
-Claire Garrett: 4th place HS girls
-Nicholas Rodriguez: 5th place HS boys
-Story Lockwood: 3rd place MS girls
🏆 Team Achievement
High School Team: 2nd place
Everywhere you look, Pirates are excelling and showing what they’re made of! From Academic Team to Swim, Archery, and beyond, spirits are high, and we couldn’t be more proud of these hardworking students and all of their incredible accomplishments. 🏹
- Results from our Berea Pirates Archery State Qualifier:
HS Team placed 2nd
Austin King placed 1st for HS boys and was the Top Overall Male
Claire Garrett placed 4th for HS girls
Nicholas Rodriguez placed 5th for HS boys
Story Lockwood placed 3rd for MS girls
- Congratulations to Kadee Stepp and Finley Blevins for making the 11th Region All A Regional All Tournament team.
This weekend, these incredible students earned 1st place overall and 2nd place in Quick Recall at the District Competition. Their next stop: Regionals!
Let's give a hand to the team for their outstanding dedication, critical thinking, wit, and the hard work of their coach Ms. Beth Ellis. What a great example of the tenacity and talent found in our BCMS classrooms!
🏆 Individual Achievements 🏆
Math
• Elijah Confer – 2nd Place
• Connor Robinson – 4th Place
Science
• Adyson Farthing – 4th Place
Social Studies
• Graham Ramsay – 1st Place
• Connor Robinson – 3rd Place
• Theo Dorrah-Sheehan – 4th Place
Language Arts
• Bridget Ramsay – 2nd Place
• Elizabeth Tait – 4th Place
Arts & Humanities
• Bridget Ramsay – 1st Place
• Elizabeth Tait – 2nd Place
• Presley Powell – 5th Place
Composition
• Harper Byrd – 3rd Place
• Elizabeth Tait – 4th Place
Join us in celebrating these exceptional students and wishing them the best of luck at Regionals!
Last Monday was Senior Night at Berea College Seabury Center, where we celebrated seniors Travis Harris, Lucas Marshall, and Michael Winkler for their dedication, leadership, and hard work. Then on Sunday at Centre College, the team delivered standout performances with some of their best times of the season, placing in the top 16 for point scoring.
Join us in showing appreciation for this incredible team and their outstanding coaches, Suzy Edmister and Lance Robbins.
Due to extremely low morning temperatures, our bus drivers have been asked to pause and wait as needed so students do not have to stand outside in the cold while waiting for the bus.
We are making sure our school building will be warm and ready to welcome students when they arrive. Thank you for helping keep our Pirates safe and comfortable!
School Closed - Friday, Jan. 16
Due to illness, Berea Community Schools will be closed on Friday, Jan. 16th, 2026.
This will be our fourth NTI Day.
Students should complete their NTI assignments from home, and teachers will be available throughout the day to provide support as needed. For questions or updates, students and families can check Google Classroom or Class Dojo, or reach out directly to their teachers.
We will return to school on Tuesday January 20th after the observance of Martin Luther King Day.
Stay warm, safe, and healthy, Pirates!
We are proud to announce that this Tuesday, a group of 8th grade students auditioned for the All-District Honor Band, representing schools from Madison, Garrard, Rockcastle, Powell, Wolfe, Lee, Owsley, Jackson, Estill, Lincoln, Mercer and Boyle counties. Hundreds of students auditioned and we had 3 students pass their audition to be accepted into the honor bands.
Arin Garrett-12th Chair Clarinet Symphonic Band
Isaiah Hackett-2nd Chair Euphonium Concert Band
Noah Moreland-3rd Chair Snare Drum Concert Band
They will rehearse and perform with the Honor Bands on March 12th and 13th at Danville HS.
This is a huge accomplishment and a testament to the dedication, hard work, and talent of our students and band program. Please congratulate these students when you see them!
Our Middle School Valentine Dance will held on February 6th from 6-8 PM in the school cafeteria.
🎟️ Admission is $5, pizza and water will be provided.
Get ready to show off your best dance moves, hang out with friends, and enjoy a fun night filled with music and memories. It'll be a night to remember! ✨
Tom has been an advocate for our school for as long as he can remember, believing in the unique strength of our teachers and curriculum to set students up for fulfilling lives and careers. With his son and grandchildren all having attended Berea, Tom has seen firsthand the lasting impact our schools have on families and individuals throughout our community.
As Tom shared:
"Berea has always had a great reputation for educating the kids. My son went through here. My grandchildren are going through here. My son graduated. He's a pharmacist, owns his own pharmacy, so it's been very good to us, very good to the community. I've fought very hard for the school, ever since I can remember. I’ve been on the school board for probably about 16 years."
Throughout those 16 years, Tom has consistently championed the school’s independence and long-term strength, always working to make decisions that serve our students, staff, and community.
"We're very independent. That's what's so special, as an independent school, we should be ruled and governed by the community"
While being a small, independent school comes with its challenges, Berea’s size is also one of its greatest strengths. Students grow up together from kindergarten through 12th grade, forming lasting relationships with classmates and staff and building a strong sense of community that carries well beyond graduation. At Berea, these characteristics aren’t limitations, they’re what make the experience truly special.
"It’s rewarding to see the school flourish and do things that some other small schools aren’t able to do. We do a lot of things with a small amount of money. We always find ways to provide opportunities and educate our children. You know, we've got a lot of kids out in the community and out in the world that are able to get a fabulous job and succeed, and it's because of the education they've gotten here."
We'd like to extend our sincere appreciation to Mr. McCay and the rest of our dedicated School Board members for their service to Berea Community Schools. We’ll continue sharing Board Member spotlights throughout January in celebration of School Board Appreciation Month!
Donations will be accepted January 15–23. Donations could include hygiene products, feminine products, non-perishable food, or blankets. Look for the Care Kit Bins located both inside and outside the school to drop off donations.
A big thank-you to our amazing FCCLA students for organizing this fundraiser. Projects like this help ensure our community is cared for and supported. Let's go all out and fill those bins to the brim!
Interested in high school track & field? 🏃♂️🏃♀️
Sign-ups are open now!
Track and field is a great way to be a part of a supportive community, build physical, mental, and emotional strength, and stay conditioned for fall sports. There are multiple areas to be involved in, including sprints, mid- and long-distance running, and field events.
Sign-ups are open to all 7th-12th grade students!
A 1987 graduate of Berea Community and parent of two BCS alumni, J. has spent most of his career in education either as a professor of composition and literature or leading communications for nonprofit organizations.
When asked about his favorite part of the Berea Community Schools experience, J. shared:
“You can be so many things at Berea. You can play football, you can be in the band, you can do theater, all that in one semester, your ability to try out different facets of identity is just different in a small school.”
Long before joining the School Board, J. was a familiar face at school events, often behind a camera. He has spent years capturing photos from swim meets, soccer matches, and Homecoming Parades for the community.
"I'm an amateur photographer, so I’ve really enjoyed the previous years where I was taking pictures at events. Those were really highlights of the year for me as an individual. I was always happy to do that"
J.’s interest in joining the School Board grew from his experience as a parent.
"I had said for years that when my kids graduated, I would think about being on the school board. And as a parent, my experience was that we didn't have enough folks communicating out to parents and other stakeholders what was going on. I ran into lots of frustrations over the years with that. By the time my youngest had graduated, I had mostly forgotten about the promise, when my sister-in-law, Deborah Morgan, who was a teacher here, reminded me. I was like, well, shoot, I got called on it. The first year that I've been on the board has not been what I expected, (but) I'm pretty optimistic currently about the future for the school district."
That revitalized focus on communication has gone a long way. J. and our other Board Members understand that parents, students, and community members alike deserve transparency and reliable communication on all levels. Thanks to that focus, even when the Board is faced with difficult decisions, J. has found an outpouring of community support from people on all sides of the conversation.
"The most rewarding part of being a Board member, this year particularly, has been community support. I will be out in the community and I will have someone who stops me on the street and they'll start asking questions about what's going on at the school. And I will do my best to explain. And almost universally, actually, universally, I have encountered support for hard choices, even when those folks didn't like that choice. And that's pretty remarkable for a good community."
We'd like to extend our sincere appreciation to J. Morgan and the rest of our dedicated School Board members for their service to Berea Community Schools. We’ll continue sharing Board Member spotlights throughout January in celebration of School Board Appreciation Month!
