Clinton County Board of Education began 2016 with a new board member and busy agenda for its first regular business meeting of the new year on a cold Monday evening, January 18 with all members present. The meeting was the first official session attended by newly appointed board member Crystal Irwin. (A separate article on Irwin can be found on page 1.)

The meeting began with Superintendent Charlotte Bernard recognizing board members with certificates in observance of January being Board Member’s Appreciation Month.

The board then recognized several Clinton County Middle School students who had scored distinguished in all subjects on the most recent K-PREP tests.

Georgia Rigney, Director of Food Services, gave an overview of the 2015-16 District Health and Wellness Plan, which was adopted unanimously by the board.

Consent items were then approved, including a leave of absence for Dana Shelley from January 5 through February 29; previous meeting minutes, claims and bills and between meeting disbursements.

Following a brief finance report from Finance Director Mike Reeves, board chairperson Paula Key gave the monthly personnel report, as follows:

* Certified resignations: Shirley Williams, Gifted and Talented teacher, district-wide and Donna DeRossett, teacher at Clinton County Middle School.

* Certified transfer: Sandra Marcum from first grade teacher to teacher of exceptional education, district-wide.

* Substitute teachers: Kenzie Pharis, CCMS; Ocie Marcum, Mindie Anderson and Lessica Guffey, district-wide.

* Certified hired: Joan DeForest, teacher at Clinton County High School to be paid her daily wage threshold with exception to the salary schedule and Sandy Shelton, archery coach at the middle school.

* Classified resignation: Tammy Parrish, bus driver, district-wide.

* Classified hired: Adrian Smith, head baseball coach at CCMS; Mark Gibson, assistant baseball coach at CCMS and Tammy Parrish, Transportation Director.

The board then approved two resolutions pertaining to the refinancing of a bond issue. The first resolution was voted on by the board, which then took a brief recess, convened the Finance Corporation (made up of the board members) and approved the second resolution pertaining to the bond refinancing.

The refinanced bond pertained to the Learning Center construction project and the refinancing will reduce the interest rate by about 1.6 percent, save the district about $20,000 per year and approximately $266,000 over the life of the pay off.

The resolution of the Finance Corporation states in part, “providing for the issuance of $4,585,000 principal amount which may be increased or decreased by the amount of $455,000 of school building refunding revenue bonds, series 2016…for the purpose of retiring prior to their respective maturities some of the outstanding Clinton County School District Finance Corporation School Building revenue bonds, series 2007.”

The board gave a brief review of the draft budget totaling $14.4 million dollars, with Finance Director Mike Reeves noting few changes from the current budget, but adding more specific numbers would be known after the current general assembly session and by the time the board is presented a tentative budget in May. No action was necessary on the draft version.

The board then approved a resolution to employ Chenoweth Law Office for legal services on an as needed basis; approved attendance of board members and superintendent for mandatory training to the Kentucky School Boards Association 2016 annual conference and entered into contract for non-resident pupils between Clinton County and Cumberland County schools for the 2016-17 school year.

On separate motions, the board elected to enter into a contract with Morgan Samole, physical therapist, for the purpose of providing therapy services to students at a cost of $65 per hour and $50 per hour for travel to and from Clinton County from Pulaski County and a contract with Jacinda Gossage, PT assistant for the purpose of providing therapy at a cost of $45 per hour and $20 per hour travel to and from Clinton County from Wayne County.

Special Education Coordinator Eddie Tallent explained to the board that after Intrepid, which had been providing the physical therapy services to the district over the past several years had opted to no longer provide the service, effective mid-January, he had searched several outlets, including locally, for someone to provide the therapy to students.

Tallent noted that the price amounts sound high, but noted that Samole will basically oversee Gossage’s work and the service provided will be assessed. He also noted Samole would only make a visit about every 90 days and it wouldn’t be like incurring a one-day a week cost.

He further added he hated to lose the local service people provided by Intrepid, saying they had a great working relationship and indicated their decision may have been more of a corporate decision and not anything to do with the school district itself. Tallent further noted that the kids that use the therapy service are greatly in need of it.

After approving assurances specific to Family Resource and Youth Service Centers, the board voted to accept the School Facilities Construction Commission (SFCC) offer of assistance in the amount of $30,493.

Finance Director Reeves said the offer was made to districts in need of building project funds each two years and with this allotment, the district would have some $76,000 to leverage in matching funds, explaining that over a period of time, the district could save millions of dollars in any future construction projects by accepting the state assistance.

Two overnight student trips were approved, including for the sixth grade boys’ basketball team to go to the state tournament in Lexington on January 22-24 and the boys’ seventh grade team to go to the state tournament there January 29-31.

Director of Pupil Personnel Julie York then gave the attendance report for the fifth month of school, which ran from December 12 through January 13. Overall, attendance was up by over 1.3 percent compared to the same month a year ago, standing at 93.64 this year, compared to 92.29 a year ago.

The school with both the highest attendance and most improved was the Early Childhood Center at 94.50 average daily attendance for the month.

York noted the district has been fortunate to this point, weather-wise with not as much illness as a year ago, but added each school was working to cut down on the average number of students that are absent per day, which averages about 110 students district-wide. She said she would like to see that number under the 100 mark.

Superintendent Bernard then gave a brief monthly report, noting the hiring of Tammy Parrish as the district’s new Director of Transportation. She also said emphasis was being put on amending the school facilities plan, leadership goals, getting the word out about Clinton schools being tobacco free next year and working on the 2016-17 school calendar.

The board is scheduled to hold a non-action work session on February 11 at 4:30 p.m. with its next regular business meeting February 15 at 5 p.m., both at the Central Office board room and open to the public.