Calendar for 2017-18 school year approved

Posted February 22, 2017 at 3:48 pm

Clinton County Board of Education gave its stamp of approval to the tentative 2017-18 school year budget, discussed the remaining calendar for the current school year and dealt with other general issues at its regular meeting Monday night at the Central Office with all members present.

Director of Pupil Personnel Julie York presented next year’s tentative calendar, which had been put together with the help of a calendar committee. The board voted unanimously to approve the calendar as presented.

York noted that next year’s calendar is also a mirror of the current 2016-17 calendar, with the same usual breaks–including avoiding missing the 127 Yard Sale in early August. The calendar includes the usual fall and Christmas holiday breaks and Spring Break the first week of next April.

The calendar, which includes 15 make-up days, four work days and four holidays, sees the start of school for staff only being August 4 with the first day for students being Monday, August 7 and the last day being May 15 for students.

Board members also discussed the current school year when York presented the attendance for the sixth month of school, which ran from January 11 through February 8. As anticipated, attendance was down across the district, primarily due to illness and flu that has shut many school districts down in recent weeks–including up to 100 schools in neighboring Tennessee.

The attendance rate for the month was 91.74 percent Average Daily Attendance, compared to 94.14 the same month a year ago. Albany Elementary had the highest attendance for the month at 93.33 and the high school dropped under the 90 percentile at 88.86 ADA for the month.

Although attendance rates were lower than usual, the almost 92 percent ADA allowed no school days to be missed, although flu and other viruses did affect several students and staff alike.

Board member Gary Norris asked York what was the criteria, or cut-off point in attendance to call for the closing of classes.

York said generally that if attendance rates dropped into the 80s percentage-wise and remained, it would cancel schools and she also noted her office kept up with doctors offices and health officials pertaining to whether or not a certain flu virus may be widespread and thus warrant the cancellation of classes.

Board members noted that Clinton County, considering the number of school districts in Kentucky and other locations that have called off school, has been fortunate thus far.

Even if a few more school days were to be missed due to either illness or weather, the district still has some make-up days built in the current calendar and still have all 10 cyber days remaining. Should no further days be missed, May 17 would be the last day of classes, with CCHS graduation on May 19.

The board also dealt with several other issues Monday, including recognizing Michelle Summers (who couldn’t attend the meeting) but has retired as Guidance Counselor at Albany Elementary School.

On a motion by board member Kevin Marcum, several consent items were approved including the following:

* Three regular board meeting minutes, (with Goldie Stonecipher abstaining on meetings in which she was not in attendance).

* Medical leaves: family medical for Bobby Reneau which ended January 23 and family medical for Shelia K. Thrasher through June 30.

* Fiance: Between meeting disbursements and paying claims and bills.

* Student services: The following school trips were approved:

— A trip for Katresa Collins’ AP English class to Lindsey Wilson College on April 28;

— A trip for the freshmen class to Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee on March 21 through the GEAR-UP program;

— A trip for Truth or Consequences for 9th grade students to Stony Point Baptist Church on March 17;

— A trip for students with disabilities to the Quiz Bowl and College Tour at Western Kentucky University on March 3;

— A trip for 7th and 8th grade students to tour the Clinton County Area Technology Center of February 22;

— An overnight trip for Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA) students to Louisville March 5-7.

Following a brief monthly finance report from Finance Director Mike Reeves, who noted the district and budget committee was working on putting together the 2017-18 working budget to be presented later this spring, board chairperson Paula Key gave the monthly personnel report as follows:

* Certified hired: Angela Sloan, assistant principal at Clinton County High School; Jim Davis, head baseball coach at Clinton County Middle School; Paulette Brinley, Transitional Food Service Director.

* Classified resignations: Lisa Angel, aide, Albany Elementary; Janet Lovell, part-time cook and Danielle Sawyers, bus driver, both district-wide.

* Classified hired: Janet Lovell, full-time cook and Danielle Sawyers, vehicle mechanic II, both district-wide; Misty Rigney, assistant softball coach at CCHS and Nikki Witherspoon, Acting Food Service Director, district-wide.

* Substitute teachers: Donna DeRossett, Allison Jarvis, Laurie Cross, Andrew Harper, Kim Hadley and Ray Marcum, all district-wide.

The board, both on motions by Marcum, voted to adjust hours for the position of custodian at CCHS from seven hours to two four-hour positions and custodian at AES and CCMS from 3.5 hours to four hour positions.

Superintendent Charlotte Nasief noted that it was difficult to find personnel to work only 3.5 hours, which does not offer benefits, while four-hour positions do. Also, the state provides all employee benefits, meaning a minimal increase in salary under the positions change.

The board, on a motion by board member Jeff Sams, approved the annual certified staffing report for each of the four schools.

Each school will have a student to teacher ratio of 24 students per class to one teacher; each has one principal; AES and CCMS has one assistance principal, the Early Childhood Center none and CCHS, two; and all schools with the exception of ECC has a guidance counselor.

Classified staffing will include one assistant per 24 Kindergarten students at the Early Childhood Center.

The motion to approve the staffing policy passed with board members Marcum, Key and Stonecipher voting yes and board member Gary Norris voting no.

Also on a motion by Sams, the board approved 2016-17 AES fundraisers for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life team and the earlier mentioned tentative school calendar was passed on a motion by Stonecipher.

Superintendent Nasief then gave her monthly report, first noting that Clinton County has been designated a Work Ready in Progress Community and noted committee meetings were held in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce meetings to put together an application to further that grant program’s funding.

Board member Norris questioned what a Work Ready Community in Progress entailed, which led to a discussion about how the project works to pull government, schools and business leaders together to form programs and educational opportunities to help get students ready for either college or career work upon graduation.

Nasief also noted that although only 15.5 percent of Clinton County’s population has at least a two-year or higher college degree, she indicated that number was somewhat misleading. She noted several CCHS graduates attend and receive college degrees but do not “move” back to the county, but rather live elsewhere.

This would mean the number of Clinton County High School students, for example, those living elsewhere now–have a much higher percentage of college degrees.

Nasief also discussed the ongoing work of the District Facilities Planning Committee, legislation in Frankfort that could have an effect on school districts and putting together the upcoming year’s budget.

After the board adopted the agenda as presented, the approximate 40 minute meeting was adjourned.

The next work session of the school board is scheduled for Thursday, March 16 at 4:30 p.m. and the next business meeting Monday, March 20 at 5 p.m., both at the Central Office board room and both open to the general public.