Clinton County Board of Education’s first meeting of the 2013-14 school year was a busy and lengthy one Monday evening, August 12 with all board members present. The session lasted approximately two hours with about half being in closed session.

The board first presented plaques of appreciation to three retirees from the school district, two of which were present–Julia Smith, with 28 years, and Doug Spears, who has been in the district for 27 years. Unable to attend was retiree Sam Gibson.

After approving minutes of the of two previous meetings, the board granted a family medical/maternity leave to Lorie Shearer Musk through September 30 and a medical leave to Beth Sullivan through October 1.

Following the approval of between meeting disbursements and voting to pay claims and bills, Board Chairperson Paula Key gave the monthly personnel report.

The personnel report was as follows:

* Certified hired: Ashley McWhorter, teacher at the Early Childhood Center; Reshea Norris Filingham, Chris Marcum and Spencer Parrigin, teachers at the middle school; Courtney Claywell, Jonathan Oakes and Ashley Neathery, teachers at the high school.

* Certified transfers: Sandy Duvall from CCECC teacher to Migrant Advocate and Allison Thrasher from full-time Project Counselor to part-time counselor and part-time Title Specialist.

* Certified continuing contract: Jamie Miller, teacher at CCHS.

* Classified transfers: Teresa Boils from Director of Food Services to Library Media Clerk at CCMS; Bea Wallace from CCMS aide to AES aide; and Angelia Byers from CCHS aide to Special Needs Children Instructional Assistant at the high school.

* Classified resignations: Mike Reeves, Secretary II at CCHS and Georgia Rigney, Food Service Secretary, district-wide.

* Classified hired: Mike Reeves, Director of Finance, district-wide; Georgia Rigney, Director of Food Services, district-wide; Nick Irwin, Paraprofessional I (timeout), Dipesh Soma, boys’ and girls’ tennis coach and Danielle Wheat, Paraprofessional I (timeout), all at CCHS and April Speck, Healthy Hometown Coalition Coordinator, district-wide.

Georgia Rigney, new Food Service Director, then explained to the board and the public on hand (all school principals were in attendance) about a state program under Community Eligibility Option.

That program, which some schools are initiating, allows all students in districts, regardless of income, free lunch and breakfast. However, the criteria that allows state reimbursement to food service programs are based on state data and if there is not enough percentage of students in a district to qualify for free and reduced meals, the program would wind up costing school districts money in their food service programs, based on the amount the state reimburses each district.

Rigney said the state bases their data on such areas of those students who are eligible for SNAP, K-TAP and some forms of Medicaid and the local school district is at 55 percent. She noted that it would take at least 70 percent of students district-wide to be in households eligible for food stamps for the district to get enough money reimbursed from the state to cover the costs of free meals to everyone.

Based on estimates received in April 2013, the district would have lost a little over $7,000 under the program and could stand to come up short by up to $110,000 in a year.

Following some discussion, no official action was taken and some feared that entering into the Community Eligibility Option would be risky since the Food Service department is already operating on a bare bones budget.

The board then voted to approve Michael Reeves as Co-Treasurer and approve a Bond of Treasurer beginning August 5 and continuous until cancelled or until his/her successor is duly appointed and qualified.

After voting to approve Supervision of Student Plans for each of the four schools, the board tabled action on approving the upcoming years contract with Adanta.

The board did approve an agreement with Somerset Community College for the 2013-14 school year for the purpose of providing work to students eligible for the Federal Work Study/America Reads/No Child Left Behind.

Band director Doug Sell then addressed the board requesting permission to charge a band fee for each band member in the amount of $100 annually to offset the loss of the bands ATV raffle project and the continuous increase in price of other fundraising projects.

A lengthy discussion then ensued with several questions being asked.

Sell noted that no student would be turned away from the band program if they couldn’t pay and also said payments could be made in installments. Any student who didn’t pay during the year could have the amount carried over at the end of the school year.

A few options were discussed, including reducing the fee and getting the Band Boosters Club more involved, among other suggestions.

Eventually, the board decided to take the request under consideration and make a decision at its next regular meeting.

In other business, the board:

* Approved a $5 lab fee per student for seventh and eighth grade science classes to cover expenses for lab experiments and science related materials.

* Approved a fundraiser for Clinton County Middle School with EcoPhones. The activity will consist of recycling cell phones.

* Approved a Pepsi fundraiser for the Early Childhood Center for the purpose of instructional supplies for each classroom teacher.

* Approved the District Assurances for the 2013-14 school year, which had been reviewed by Supervisor of Instruction Paula Little.

* Superintendent Charlotte Bernard then gave the initial school district enrollment figures for the start of the 2013-14 year, stating the first enrollment count was 1,711 students, just one down from the 1,712 counted at the start of the 2012-13 school term.

The board then entered into a lengthy closed session to discuss personnel along with Board Attorney Lindsey Bell but took no action upon returning to open session.

The next regular meeting of the Clinton County Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, September 9 at 5 p.m. at the Central Office and is open to the general public.