The Madison County Board of Education signed an agreement saying that much at last Tuesday’s school board meeting. The state requires local boards to approve a certificate from an architect — deeming the building “substantially complete” — before it allocates the rest of the funds for a construction project.
“We’ve dotted all the other I’s and crossed all the other T’s,” Madison County Schools superintendent Dr. Mitch McGhee said.
McGhee noted that “basically, we’re in the middle school.” Two phone lines have been installed while MCMS principal Matt Boggs is now using that as his home base.
Some technology equipment remains to be installed and data-entry needs to be completed.
“Outside of that, the school is functioning for the adults and is well on its way to being ready for the students,” McGhee said.
Classes begin Aug. 7.
McGhee noted that a plaque has already been unveiled at the building with the names of all the current board of education as well as former superintendent Keith Cowne and former board chairman Robert Haggard.
MOVIE POLICY PONDERED
County school leaders will take a closer look at what movies are shown to Madison County students.
The Madison County Schools central office intends to draft a system-wide policy on movie viewing after a parent brought to its attention that a PG-13 film was shown to Madison County Middle School sixth graders.
“We do not have a standing policy on that right now,” superintendent Dr. Mitch McGhee said at last Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. “That’s handled at each school.”
McGhee said the system policy would address movie ratings, specifically.
The movie in question has been shown for several years.
“However, it is rated PG-13 and I do think we do have a need to look at a policy for that,” McGhee said.
McGhee said he and associate superintendent Allen McCannon will consider some guidelines for schools to apply before showing movies to students, looking at surrounding policies to aid in drafting their own.
The policy will be presented at the July school board meeting.
In other business conducted last Tuesday night, the board:
•approved all variance requests.
•OK’d five-year facilities plan with top priority going upgrades of the high school and Comer, Colbert and Ila elementary schools.
•reviewed new policies on administrative annual leave, reporting criminal charges and complaints and grievances against certified employees. All policies will have to sit for a month before being adopted. The board also reviewed policies regarding protocol for early graduation, late arrival and early dismissal and looked at the student handbooks for elementary, middle and high schools. Both these items will also have to sit for a month before approval.
•accepted next year’s milk bid, approved overnight student trips for next year and approved next year’s athletic supplements.
