Attendance at county schools was up over the first day of school last year. Assistant principal Bonnie Knight told board of education members Tuesday night that 4,643 students attended schools countywide on Friday, up 47 students over last year.
Knight said all major construction at Comer Elementary has been completed and that the new media center is “beautiful.” She encouraged board members and the public to tour the facility and said a community open house will be held Sept. 4.
Construction at the high school is expected to begin soon, with a target completion date of August 2015. Knight said school officials are still working on parking issues once construction begins and that construction fencing should be up by late September.
In a related matter, the board approved a lease agreement with agriculture center officials for the lease of their parking lot across the road from the schools on Madison Street in Danielsville. Knight said the parking lot will provide an additional 95 to 100 student parking spaces.
She said all 69 bus routes were running smoothly and that having a bus route deadline for parents wishing to change their addresses helped with this.
The board recognized the 2013 “teacher of the year,” middle school teacher David Kendrick. The support person of the year is high school nutrition worker Bertha Moon.
The board approved keeping the school board millage rate the same as last year at 16.99 mills.
The board agreed to purchase five new Blue Bird school buses using state funding.
PERSONNEL APPROVALS
The BOE approved the following personnel recommendations Tuesday night.
Colbert Elementary – hired Kathy Cribb as a half-time teacher; Brenda Minish as half-time clerical staff and Amy Hudgens and Sheryl Nash as parapros. They accepted the resignation of parapros Kevin Southall and Melissa Dove.
Comer Elementary – hired Liz Mosseri, Nan Deal and Debbie Moon as new part-time teachers; approved Debbie Hale as afterschool worker to replace Autumn Hall; approved maternity leave for counselor Tracy Hebenton; hired parapro Jennifer Morris to replace Brandy Paul and approved additional duty for Patricia Carey as an energy person.
Danielsville Elementary – hired Janie Smith as a parapro to replace Linda Herring and accepted the resignations of parapro Angela Peloquin and afterschool worker Avonlea Crawford. They also hired Angela Shubert as an afterschool worker to replace Crawford.
Hull-Sanford Elementary – approved additional duty for David Harrison as an assistant soccer coach and Susanna Howard as an assistant volleyball coach to replace Lori Fouche. They also approve additional duty for Jeff Davis as an assistant baseball coach as well as Ken Morgan and Sara Owen.
Student services – Cindy Barber was hired to replace Laura Morena and Kathy Colwell was approved for three months of full-time employment.
Transportation – Rex Whidby was hired to replace Ralph Coleman as a mechanic. Jean Carthern and Glen Lyles were terminated as bus drivers. Harlan Lovelace was approved unpaid leave and the resignations of Jennifer Hardin and Wesley Jordan were accepted. Additional duties as a bus driver was approved for Greta Whitworth (currently a parapro) and for Tyler Berryman (currently a sub teacher, coach, trip driver). William Trimier was approved additional duties as a bus driver (currently parapro, coach) and Carey Metts was approved as a bus driver (also a teacher/coach).
School nutrition – Sharon Minnick was hired as a manager to replace April Clark.
The board also approved a Sheila Stille as a grant-writing consultant to help write the Career Academy Grant due in September 2012 for no more than $5,000. (The board approved $4,000 at its regular duty July 2012, so this would be an increase of $1,000).
