Several long-time Madison County school system employees are retiring at the end of the school system’s fiscal year, June 30.
Most notably, long-time curriculum director Jane Fitzpatrick is retiring, along with long-time transportation secretary Dottie Coile.
Also retiring is long-time Hull-Sanford Elementary P.E. teacher Mike Osborne and middle school teacher Mark Cronic.
The board of education also approved the following personnel recommendations at its regular meeting March 12:
Comer Elementary — They approved maternity leave for teacher Jamie Collinsworth.
Middle school — They accepted the resignation of registrar Mitzi Day and teacher Ashley Reynolds.
Student services — They approved temporary ESY teacher positions for Andrea Jarrett, Allison Clarke, Kristen Copes, and temporary ESY parapro positions for Loretta Phillips and Michelle Karles.
System level – They approved Renetta Gaye as a long-term substitute bus monitor and they approved a change in duties for bus driver Andrew Huff from call-in sub bus driver to full-time sub bus driver.
In other business, the board also approved the proposed 2013-14 school year calendar. Students will start school Aug. 16 this year and finish school May 23, 2014.
The board heard from assistant superintendent Bonnie Knight that the school will be receiving more than $400,000 in state budget supplements for being a charter system. These funds are to be used for innovative instructional practices and school governance activities.
Knight also said that employee health insurance continues to be a budget expenditure concern. The school system just found out that there will be an increase of $25 per month per certified employee, which will equate to approximately $105,000 in next year’s budget. This is in addition to a previously announced $150 per month per employee increase for classified employees, which will cost the system $450,000 next year.
Work on the high school construction project continues, though at a slower than anticipated pace due to the recent rains. Knight said this is not expected to delay the planned opening in August 2014.
Knight told the board that she and superintendent Allen McCannon had been approached by a solar company interested in working on grants being provided by Georgia Power to receive federal funds to basically place solar panels on the roofs or grounds of several schools and then sell the power generated back to Georgia Power. Knight pointed out that, if this works out, the funds could be used to offset the cost of roof repairs, which are expected to cost $4 million.
The board heard that the Bowman Mountain Education Charter High School will open June 2013 for credit recovery and is currently hiring teachers and counselors. In August, the school will open for transfer students.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for students where regular high school is not working,” assistant superintendent Dr. Sherrie Gibney-Sherman said. “It’s going to be a game changer for these students in Madison, Elbert and Hart counties. This is a very impressive opportunity to offer young people.”
