department tobacco survey, need for new band instruments

Clinton County Board of Education met for a little over an hour for its regular session Monday evening at the Central Office with only three members present. Much of the meeting was a series of presentations prior to the start of routine business items being announced or voted on.

The board first heard a presentation from Ashley Bridgeman with the Lake Cumberland District Health Department who presented results of recent surveys pertaining to a proposal to make all Clinton County schools Tobacco Free Schools. (Results of that survey can be found in a separate article beginning on page 1.)

No action was taken at the meeting but the board did again take the Tobacco Free Schools proposal under consideration.

Lamon Hubbs then presented the board with some estimates for a few new horns needed for the Clinton County High School Band, noting the current instruments are old, some over 25 years, and that students couldn’t afford to buy their own.

The estimate for the instruments needed was for $19,000, obtained by Band Director Doug Sells a couple of months ago. The board would have the option of purchasing the new horns all together or on a five-year lease, which would see an additional $1,300 a year in interest.

Hubbs, a member of the growing popular Clinton County Alumni Band, noted the importance of the band program and the positive effects music has on students who participate. The Alumni Band has been helping out with the local band program financially and in other ways.

The CCHS Band received several compliments at the meeting, and the board seemed in favor of helping with the purchase, but deferred action until all board members could be present to make a decision.

Tina Langford, Tim Armstrong and Sheldon Harlan, principals at the Early Childhood Center, Albany Elementary and CCHS, respectively, then gave updates regarding each school’s MAP data, which helps measure and gauge the progress of students in core areas at each school.

Harlan, noting that the MAP data only goes through ninth grade, focused his presentation mainly on the student percentage for Career and/or College Readiness and discussed programs to help further students’ ability to be both college and career ready after finishing high school.

The board then approved subsequent disbursements, voted to pay claims and bills, and was presented the monthly financial report from Finance Director Mike Reeves, who noted the current fiscal year budget was coming to a close and finances were in good condition as a whole.

The board is currently putting together the final of three budgets, the working budget, that will be presented for approval later this summer or early fall.

Chairperson Paula Key then gave the monthly personnel report, as follows: Certified resignations–Jessica Conner, 9th grade girl’s basketball coach and Mark Neal, teacher at the middle school; Classified resignation–Jeff Shelton, 5th and 6th grade girl’s basketball coach; Classified hired–Amanda Shelton and Kathy Conner, Migrant Summer School aides; and substitute teacher, Tim Moons, district-wide.

The board then approved Roeding Insurance Company and (KEMI)Kentucky Employers Mutual Insurance Workmen’s Compensation for renewal of insurance for the 2015-16 school year in the amount of $36,093.55.

After approving the revised classified salary schedule for the 2015-16 school year, they voted to establish a 241-day certified Director of District-Wide Programs position with a $3,000 salary supplement; approved the 2015-16 Code of Pupil Conduct with only minor revisions from last year and approved first reading of policy/procedure updates recommended by the Kentucky School Boards Association.

On a motion by board member Kevin Marcum, the board voted to enter into a lease agreement allowing nurse(s) employed by Cumberland Family Medical Center, Inc. to provide school nursing services and related motions to allow the company to lease nurse(s) employed by the board for provision of nursing services and approved a Business Associate Agreement with the company for the services.

On a motion by board member Jeff Sams, they voted to declare 115 items of technology (cpus, monitors, etc.) surplus property because the items are outdated and considered scrap and have been replaced. Creative Recycling Systems, Inc. has the state contract and will purchase the items for recycling.

During the approval of the instructional day schedule for the upcoming school year, board member Marcum questioned whether or not it would be feasible to add 15 minutes to the school day. He cited, primarily at the high school, where students had difficulty in finding time to go to lockers, restrooms, etc. while changing classes.

Board members discussed the idea with each of the principals present, who noted it would be difficult to add minutes to the day, and no one wanted to begin school 15 minutes earlier, but other possible options were discussed.

Eventually, the board took the idea under consideration and may address the concerns prior to the 2016-17 school term.

The schedule includes 172 instructional days, two above the state mandate and “banked” minutes into the day which could be used as make-up days in case of inclement weather.

The times for each school will be: 7:50 am. to 2:50 p.m. at the middle school; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at CCHS; and 8:10 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. at both the ECC and Albany Elementary.

After approving the 2015-16 certified evaluation plan, Superintendent Charlotte Bernard gave the attendance report for the final (ninth) month of school, with the average daily attendance being 93.95, slightly down from last year’s ending month of 94.22. The school with the highest attendance for the month was at CCMS which had a 95.8 attendance rate.

Bernard also announced two anonymous donations had been made, one in the amount of $6,000 toward work on the high school football field and a $7,000 donation to the high school’s Career and College Readiness related program.

The next meeting of the school board is a scheduled work session for Thursday, July 8 at 4:30 p.m., and the next regular business meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 20 at 5 p.m., both at the Central Office and both open to the public.