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Snow, school leaders discuss local issues
By Samantha Blanton
During a special meeting Monday (Aug. 14), school board members talked with state Sen. John Snow (D-Murphy) about various problems facing local schools.
Topping their list of concerns were teacher shortages and the requirements of federal legislation known as No Child Left Behind.
Both local school officials and Snow agreed on the importance of training and holding onto qualified teachers.
“We need to try to keep good teachers in the classroom beyond retirement,” Snow said. “We have a plan to try and retain the most experienced older teachers.”
Snow’s plan would involve contacting teachers after 30 years of teaching and asking them to return to teaching for five years, with a 5 percent pay increase each year.
State Senator John Snow (D-Murphy), right, met with school board members Monday (Aug. 14). Board members, from left, Traci Rice, Ken Henke, and Ali Laird-Large, along with Superintendent Sue Nations shared concerns about federal No Child Left Behind requirements and teacher shortages with Snow.
“The North Carolina Association of Educators is not a fan of this plan, (because) they want to entice younger teachers to stay with the profession,” Snow said. “It would really help with the teacher shortage.”
If re-elected in November, Snow plans to introduce legislation promoting the plan.
Snow asked board members about the annual NCLB scores the county recently received.
Out of all county schools, Fairview Elementary was the only one to receive a failing grade. The only subgroup that failed was students with disabilities.
“It is so ridiculous that on the second test administration the kids passed,” Snow said.
“I understand that accountability is necessary,” Superintendent Sue Nations said.
“Yes, accountability is necessary but we can’t be absurd,” Snow said.
“It is like me asking you to go to Raleigh and outlaw kudzu in Western North Carolina; it is just not practical,” Nations said.
Because federal officials mandated NCLB but underfunded it by some $7 billion, there is no way it can work, Snow said.
In other matters Monday:
Budget
Board members approved a budget for the 2006-2007 school year.
The $7,294,095 budget includes $5,915,468 of Jackson County funds, David Steinbicker, school system finance officer said.
“We got one additional teaching position, which added around $45,000 to the local funding,” Steinbicker said.
Other supplemental funding should be available soon and could range from $43,000 to $45,000, he said.
During this year’s county budget process, some $200,000 was cut from the schools’ maintenance budget.
“There is a need for maintenance money,” School Board Chairman Ken Henke said. “We put millions of dollars into the schools and then we let them go back to the way they were.”
No money from the N.C. Education Lottery has yet been factored into the budget.
“We have $425,000 coming into the state but none of it coming to education,” Henke said. “The average person thinks that schools are taken care of by the lottery.”
Construction update
Most construction at county schools should be finished by the time school starts for students on Aug. 25, Assistant Superintendent Steve Jones said.
Those projects include air conditioning the gym at Smokey Mountain Elementary; air conditioning the shop/computer class at Cullowhee Valley; replacing the gym floor at Fairview; adding gates in the parking lots at Scotts Creek; new offices, rooms, and a greenhouse at the School of Alternatives; a new concession stand at Blue Ridge; and a turn around for fire trucks at Smoky Mountain High School.
Other action
Board members approved a purchase order for a new school activity bus for up to $70,000.
“The purchase order must be filed with the company before Aug. 31 or we can’t get a bus until next year,” Henke said.
– The board also approved a $31,000 bid by Trane to fix an air conditioner compressor at Cullowhee Valley.
“We can keep running the system halfway, but it will eventually burn out the rest of the system,” Jones said.
– Board members approved a field trip for seventh-graders at Scotts Creek to go to Camp Greenville, Sept. 28.
Personnel
Board members made a number of personnel decision.
– Resignations were accepted from Roger Blunt, bus driver; Stephen Harrison, art teacher, CVS; Tammy Harrold, exceptional children’s teacher, and Donna Stiwinter, child nutrition assistant, Blue Ridge; and Robin Nations, biology teacher, SMHS.
– Employment was approved for Penelope Adams, art teacher, CVS; Melanie Bibb, teacher assistant, School of Alternatives; Martha Burrell, business teacher, Lisa Soloman, teacher assistant, and Nanci Wilson, teacher assistant, Blue Ridge; Stephen Jones, health occupations teacher, SMHS; and Terri Hollifield, exceptional children’s program director, Central Office.
– Morag Miller was approved as a substitute teacher.
– Non-staff positions approved include Edith Callahan, assistant volleyball and basketball coach, Josh Galloway, assistant football coach, and Dusty Robinson, assistant football coach, all SMHS.
– Returning coaches are Danny Mitchell, assistant football coach, Michael McIntosh, assistant football coach, Matt Ramsey, assistant soccer coach, Chris Tyson, JV men’s soccer coach, and Stephan Delor, assistant soccer coach, all at SMHS.
– Special request for rescinded parental leave, Angie White.
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