Meeting After School Board Meeting

After the School Board meeting last night, 13 March 08, there was an impromptu meeting in Mr. Jackson office. There were several commissioners, a school board member, Mr. Jackson and myself. This meeting resulted from the question I had asked during the School Board Meeting about the recent salary increase and promotion to office manager of Mrs. Beth Sigmon the present internal auditor for the school system.

Mrs. Sigmon, along with two other book keepers from the school system, is scheduled to move into the Financial Management Office beginning on 1 July. I had asked the question about the appropriateness of her having been given a $13,500.00 pay increase on the first of March when she would be moved in July, what line item the money came from and if it had come about as a result of moving money out of teacher salaries in the last budget amendment? Mr. Jackson sought to explain the situation. The explanation was that the raise was temporary and on 30 June 2008 she would revert back to her salary as of February this year. Mr. Jackson explained that the extra pay was for extra work expected to be required prior to Mrs. Sigmon moving into the Financial Management Office. Basically Mrs. Sigmon was given a $13,500.00 bonus spread over four months.

There have been questions raised about this meeting being about the bus situation, it was not. Allen Barrett

Should Home School Children Receive The Same Treatment As Government School Children When It Comes To Tax Supported Activities?

Mrs. Paige Griffith wrote a very interesting letter to the editor in the Pulaski Citizen about her treatment at a recent ballet performance at Martin Methodist College. There appeared in the same issue a letter from Mrs. Martha Ferguson commending several who had been involved in securing this performance of the ballet. Indeed all involved should have been commended but should children who are home schooled be punished and treated like second class citizens? Having been seated Mrs. Griffith and her children were required to move from their seats and stand in the aisle until government school children were seated. This event had been advertised as a public performance and the public invited there were no reserved seating.

I personally believe, if her description is accurate, that Mrs. Griffith and her children are owed a public apology and the assurance that such behavior will not happen again.

What are your thoughts? Allen Barrett