School board clears way for addition of varsity soccer

Posted July 14, 2011 at 1:00 pm

Clinton County Board of Education held its monthly meeting at its new time Monday, July 11, starting at 5 p.m. Five of six members were on hand for the meeting, which lasted just over an hour. The board approved several measures necessary to begin the next school year, which will begin in less than a month.

Among those measures are included the addition of a new varsity sport at Clinton County High School for both boys and girls.

The board voted to approve starting a soccer program at the high school, beginning with the upcoming school year.

Supt. McFall noted that a poll of students, both girls and boys, revealed enough interest in the fall sport to begin a program and said it appeared it wouldn’t interfere with other fall sporting programs already available at the high school.

The board, on a motion by Junior Cecil, voted to establish a girls and boys varsity program and pay one coach a stipend of $1,125.00. Games will be played at the soccer field located at the middle school.

The board heard from Park Director Bobby Reneau, who shared a financial and performance report of the park’s activities for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

Reneau noted that the park boards budget was tight from year to year, with expenditures during the past fiscal year being some $46,000.00. He said things may be even tighter the next fiscal year due to a drop in concession sales, which is a major revenue source for the board to operate on, especially during the spring and summer months.

The park director also thanked the board for their financial and in-kind services they do for the park on a year-to-year basis.

The board then approved two between meeting disbursements, to Kentucky Gas and the Kentucky State Treasurer and voted to pay claims and bills.

Superintendent Mickey McFall then gave a lengthy personnel report for the month, as follows:

* Certified continuing contracts: Terry Shelley, Crystal Smith and Christina Stearns, teachers at Albany Elementary; Erin Casada, teacher at the middle school and Lorie Musk and Samuel Gibson as teachers at the high school.

* Certified hired: Danielle Hicks, Migrant summer teacher, district-wide; Patrick Stalcup, science teacher and Darrell Thompson, girls’ head basketball coach, both at the high school.

* Classified continuing contracts: Celesta Shearer, Greg York and Jerry York, bus drivers; Charlotte Dalton, secretary at the Early Childhood Center; Amanda Rich, aide at the ECC; Lonnie Marcum and Stephanie Shackleford, aides at CCMS and Sherry Poore, Paraprofessional, district-wide.

* Classified transfers: (all aide positions) Renee Polston from AES to CCMS; Kathy Ridge, Chris Smith, Jennifer Stearns and Rose Hunter from ECC to AES; and Bea Wallace from AES to the middle school.

* Classified resignations: Robyn Warinner, aide at the Early Childhood Center and Mike Langford, assistant football coach at CCMS.

On a motion by board member Kevin Marcum, they voted to approve second reading of policy and procedure updates as recommended by the Kentucky School Boards Association.

The board, on a motion by Cecil, approved first reading of amendments to a board policy pertaining to Administrative Procedure 08.22.

The amendment will basically leave it up to teachers and schools of elementary grade students as whether or not to advance students to the next grade level. In the past, parents had the most major input, but the new policy will leave the decision in the hands of the child’s teacher and school.

Supt. McFall, as well as AES Principals Tim Armstrong and Tina Langford agreed that moving a child ahead to the next grade level who wasn’t ready was harmful to the student in the long run. However, parents will still have total involvement with the decision, as they would be notified throughout the year on the progress of the child and have input in the decisions made.

On a motion by Paula Key, the board approved a contract for non-resident pupils between Clinton and Cumberland County schools for the next three-year period and on a motion by board chairman Ned Davis, approved the 2011-12 Head Start lease, provided Head Start provides adequate liability insurance. The space for head start is located at the Early Childhood Center.

The board also approved the 2011-12 contract with Adanta and approved Lake Cumberland Drug Testing company to provide drug testing of employees and students for the upcoming school year.

The annual bus schedule for each school was then approved, with bus unload times, school start time and bus pick-up times.

The schedule will include: CCMS–bus unload at 7:20 a.m., start time 7:40 a.m. and pick-up time, 2:32 p.m. AES–bus unload at 7:25 a.m., start time 7:50 a.m. and pick-up time, 2:42 p.m. CCHS–bus unload at 7:30 a.m., start time 8 a.m. and bus pick-up at 2:52 p.m. ECC: bus unload at 7:35 a.m., start time 8:05 a.m. and pick-up at 2:57 p.m.

It was noted the Early Childhood Center had a little more flexibility since it has its own buses.

The board also set the rates for school meals and ala carte items.

Supt. McFall explained there was federal legislation that would probably pass that would make school districts across the country come more in line with meals charged as compared to what is reimbursed for free lunches.

The board opted to charge the minimum increase to help stay in line with the anticipated increases, that being a nickel higher per school lunch for both student and adult meals. Prices for meals at the elementary schools will be $1.55 per paid lunch and $1.80 at the middle school and high school. Some ala carte items will also increase in price and adult breakfast will be $1.75, with adults no longer being able to run a continuous charge on meals.

The board also approved the establishment of an aide position for special needs children at the ECC.

Also on a motion by Cecil, the board voted to purchase up to $5,000 additional equipment for the science lab at Albany Elementary and the board also briefly discussed physical education time for students at the Early Childhood Center.

Also by unanimous vote, they approved a volleyball team trip to Muncie, Indiana for a volleyball camp July 18-20 and delayed action on the annual Superintendent’s Evaluation until all board members could be present to participate.

At the onset of the meeting, Supt. McFall recognized any guests who would like to address the board.

Jim DeForest handed out some letters to board members, some of which he read aloud, pertaining to his wife, Joan, former assistant principal at Clinton County Middle School.

DeForest’s address to the board and superintendent pertained to his wife not being hired as principal at the middle school when the position became open over a year ago.

He expressed his and his wife’s disappointment with the school administration, noting she had been in the teaching profession for 34 years and assistant principal at the school for 14 years before her retirement. She had been among the applicants to fill the position left vacated by retiring principal Jimmy K. Brown.

DeForest alleged she was the only assistant principal in Clinton County who had not been promoted to the principal’s job after a previous principal had stepped down and noted she had been passed over twice for the job while serving as assistant principal at the school, during two different superintendents.

DeForest read the correspondences in public which he had given to the board members and voiced his opinions on the matter. After his presentation to the board, the issue was not mentioned further.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for August 8 at 5 p.m. at the Central Office and is open to the public.