School system to relocate alternative programs to old Scotts Creek School

By Lynn Hotaling

Members of the Jackson County Board of Education voted unanimously in favor of a proposal from Arlin Middleton, maintenance supervisor, and Lynn Dillard, exceptional children's director, to move the Comprehensive School of Alternatives, Discovery and New Millennium to the almost 50-year-old Scotts Creek School.

With the new Scotts Creek School on Parris Branch ready to open this fall, school officials seized the opportunity to move their alternative programs onto school-system-owned property. Currently, all three are housed in leased facilities.

"It makes more sense to consolidate all three into the old Scotts Creek School," said Superintendent Mack McCary.

It will cost some $19,000 for necessary repairs to the old school, and an additional $41,000 for operating expenses. Initial plans call for that money to come from the alternative learning budget, McCary said, but he said he needed to "reserve the right to make adjustments from capital outlay."

Money from the alternative program budget that has been going to pay for leases and utilities will be used for repairs and utilities at the old school, Middleton said, but some capital outlay funds may be required.

- Plans call for the programs to be operable at the old school by the beginning of the fall semester, McCary said. Essential repairs include water and sewer hookups, estimated at $13,000; installation of carpet to cover deteriorating asbestos tile, estimated at $4,000; and repairs to the school's bathrooms, estimated at $2,000.

A new alternative program, Focus, will also be housed at the old school, McCary said. Focus will provide shorter-term intervention for disruptive middle school students and will be designed to help kids learn conflict resolution and self-discipline as they "work their way back into the regular classroom," he said.

The short-term goal for the old Scotts Creek School is to get the alternative programs up and running by August, McCary said. In the future, the school system may have space to lease to community groups and local businesses, he said.

Both school and county leaders have at various times discussed the possibility of moving the school system's Central Office to the old school, which would free up the existing Central Office building on Hospital Road for county health department or human service expansion; however, there was no mention of that plan Monday night.

Though he was aware there had been past discussion with regard to transferring the Central Office building to the county, McCary said it was the feeling of school officials that the old Scotts Creek School is not in a central enough location to house the school system's administrators. There is a need to replace the Central Office and let the county have that space, but there are no immediate plans to do so, the superintendent said.

Turning their attention to personnel, school board members renewed contracts for several principals and central office administrators and raised one principal's salary.

Both Middleton and Fairview Principal Sue Nations received four-year renewals, while Assistant Superintendent Nancy Sherrill, Smokey Mountain Elementary Principal Tom Dowell and Blue Ridge Principal Lib Balcerek received two-year contracts. Larry McDonald, coordinator of health, physical education and safety, also received a two-year renewal.

Board members authorized a salary increase for Scotts Creek Principal Wanda Fernandez. The first-year principal received a 5 percent raise, bringing her total salary to $54,205. The $2,581 increase will come from local funds, said David Steinbicker, school system finance officer. Fernandez received the increase, McCary said, because of the "outstanding job she's done this year."

In other personnel action, board members accepted the resignation of Clarence Hubbell, a former teacher, principal and vocational director who has served as school system construction coordinator for the past four years.

Board Chairman Martha Queen expressed appreciation to Hubbell for his success in overseeing construction of the new Scotts Creek School as well as additions and renovations at all county schools except Cullowhee Valley.

Resignations were also accepted from Rhonda Burrell, pre-kindergarten teacher at Blue Ridge; and Michael Faulkner, custodian at Smoky Mountain High.

Approved for employment were Wanda Crisp, pre-kindergarten teacher, and Shirley Maxson, counselor, both at Blue Ridge; Amber Cable, sixth grade, and Paula Fox, eighth grade, both at Cullowhee Valley; and Mike Sanford, assistant band director at SMHS.

Recommended to be middle school math teacher at Blue Ridge, but not hired, was Elmer Sanders. Jackson County's school board will hold a work session at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 18, at Grassy Creek, the private Tuckasegee retreat of board member Mary Jane Dillard's family. This meeting, as is the case with all school board meetings, is open to the public.

Back to Archive: 06/28/01.