News From The School Board Meeting Held 8 June 2010

Several very important and positive things took place at the School Board Meeting last night. These are listed below in no significant order.

1) The missing $30,000.00 has been re-discovered. It seems that contrary to Board policy the money that had been assigned to purchase textbooks was moved from that line item and used for another purchase in a different line item. The explanation was that Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Garner had a different interpretation of the rule from everyone else. As was explained last night Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Garner believed that where the policy stated monies in one line item could not be moved into a different line item without the prior approval of the School Board actually meant it could not be moved from one line item into a different category of line items.

The policy was clarified by School Board member Story and affirmed by other members. No money will be used in a different line item without the prior approval of the School Board.

2) A new policy was adopted that would require a more accurate budget over a more quickly formed budget. Instead of working on the school budget in February before many questions about expenses and income can be answered they will now wait until those figures are more complete and start work on the budget in May. It will also no longer be acceptable to make last minute amendments to reconcile the books so state auditors will not raise questions about monies and its movement through the system.

3) It was agreed that while there was disappointment and some misleading involving the property insurance the bid would be accepted with the stipulation that the premiums would not increase during the life of the policy and if they did increase the agreement would become void and be re-bid. It was also decided that the bid process would be started at least ninety days before the policy expired in order to give more companies the opportunity to bid. These were recommendations from Mr. Greene chairman of the insurance committee.

4) The announcement was made by Chairman Young that he had appointed Mr. Story and Mrs. Turner from the School Board and a private citizen Mr. Haskell Mayes to the school ethics committee.

There were a number of other minor items discussed and approved, from field trips to acceptance of bids for various supplies along with personnel and director’s report.

Allen Barrett

Change In Schedule For School Board Meeting?

It seems that the regular scheduled School Board Meeting set for 10 June has been changed to Tuesday night 8 June at 5PM. The thing that makes this an usual change in schedule is that it was changed during a work session where there is not supposed to be any decisions made. It also coincides with the fact that the School Director is facing an ethics charge scheduled to be discussed. Also a conflict exist that would have prevented Mrs Norman from being there, Mr. Jackson's most ardent supporter, it's odd that such changes are not made for other board members. Where has this meeting been announced and posted where the general public could view it, in accordance with County policy and state law? Allen Barrett