New position, fundraising guidelines adopted by board

November 16, 2006

By PAUL ROY
Independent Herald Publisher

HUNTSVILLE —The Scott County Board of Education has voted to establish a new position and has adopted new guidelines for student involvement in school fundraising activities.

Meeting in regular monthly session on Thursday at the Central Office in Huntsville, the board voted to create the position of Consolidated Health Coordinator/Supervisor.

Although state guidelines for the new position require a minimum of 3,000 students for a full-time Health Coordinator, Director of Schools Mike Davis says the current enrollment is near enough to that figure to seek full-time status.

Davis also pointed out that the new measure creating the position also includes funding, so it will not be a burden to local taxpayers.

In the event that the county does not receive a waiver to establish a full-time Health Coordinator, Davis indicated that an agreement would have to be worked out with another school system to share the services of the position.

Acting on a complaint filed by the parent of a student who was barred from attending an event celebrating a successful school fundraiser, the board has voted to adopt additional rules for school fundraising activities.

In addition to ending the practice of discrimination against those students who do not participate in school-related fundraising activities, the board has voted to require parental approval for student participation in all such activities.

The new policy, as outlined by Director Davis, was put into the form of a motion by Vivian Smith, seconded by Brian Strunk, and carried by an all-aye roll call vote.

It was explained that a permission form would be sent home for the parents to sign before any student can participate in fundraising activities.

Following a question posed by Esther Abbott, Director Davis said that “no one will be penalized” in any way for non-participation.

In other business Thursday, the board:

• Approved on second and final reading new board policies related to the grading system, interim employees, attendance and dispensing medication, all of which were recommended by the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA);

• Voted to sponsor a table (at a cost of $500) at the upcoming Nov. 18 Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame Banquet;

• Approved the teachers’ contract as presented by the board’s three-member negotiation team with the approval of the Scott County Education Association;

• Accepted the 2005-2006 Activities Fund Audit for all schools as presented by Dennis Jeffers, CPA/PC;

• Voted to approve a budget amendment for the Special Education IDEA Part B budget;

• Voted to endorse a percentage pay increase for retired teachers and other state employees who began their retirement in 1989, with the increase to take effect on January 1, 2007;

• Acted on the recommendation of the school system’s Food Service Director to contract with Hobart Equipment Co. for service on school dishwashers at a cost of $970;

• Voted to request the Scott County Finance Director to solicit bids on a tractor for the Scott High School’s Tech Program and a re-locatable classroom for the Scott High campus to house the Air Force Jr. ROTC program. In a discussion which followed the motion, Director Davis said that while the tractor was being purchased with Career Tech Education funds, the classroom would have to be acquired with local funds. He suggested that this year’s payments on the re-locatable classroom come from the $10,246 raised from the recent surplus property sale, and that it then be made a part of the school’s budget beginning next year;

• Approved a system-wide attendance incentive program as submitted by Attendance Director John Blakley. The new attendance incentive will be funded on a $2 per student basis, with each school center deciding how those funds will be dispersed to encourage attendance; and,

• Voted to advertise a request for proposals for E-rate Services for “Year 10” (2007-2008) of the program.

Early on in Thursday night’s meeting, Board Chairman Jake Sharp recognized the “Parents of the Month” and poster contest winners from the various schools for their winning entries in the school bus safety poster contest. Sharp also recognized board member Rodney West for having achieved Level 3 status in the TSBA’s boardmanship program, as well as Vivian Smith, who is a Level 5 board member, who is being recognized by the TSBA as an “All-State School Board Member.”

The board also heard brief reports from Sharon Wilson, principal at Scott High; Lemance Bryant, principal at Huntsville Middle; Linda Sharp, principal at Fairview Elementary; and Sharon Stanley, principal at Winfield Elementary.
Director Davis’ report to the board included announcements that

◊ The annual Maxwell Sexton Oratorical Contest finals would be held November 29-30;

◊ That a $227,500 grant had been obtained through Appalachian Quality Life Initiative (ALQI) to fund a joint effort by teachers from the two local school systems to tutor students at the Boys and Girls Club. Ten teachers from each system will be involved in helping students with their homework, computer skills, and activities related to the arts, Davis said. The program will be directed by the supervisors of instruction (Linda Keeton for the county and Ann Daugherty for the Oneida Schools). Davis also said that State Rep. Les Winningham assisted in the grant approval process; and,

◊ That the State Report Card for Scott County Schools showed marked improvement with three A’s and one B having been earned this year.

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