Clinton County Board of Education held a lengthy meeting with a full agenda Monday evening, May 14 with all members on hand.

The board, before a packed house starting out, first recognized several Albany Elementary and Clinton Middle School students who took the Noetic Math Test. Each student received certificates and class winners a medallion.

The board also approved the following leave of absences: Jamie York, without pay, from May 4-31; family medical leave to Lisa Bray from April 23 to June 30; medical leave for Jennifer Pierce from April 9 to May 18; medical leave for Barbara Thurman from April 6 to June 15; and family medical leave for Kenzie Pharis from April 23 to May 15.

After voting to pay claims and bills and approving between meeting disbursements, several school related trips for the upcoming year were approved.

Finance Director Mike Reeves then gave the monthly finance report, including briefly discussing the proposed nickel tax, which some people are advocating to raise funds for building projects, specifically that would eventually lead to a new high school.

During the board’s work session earlier this month, board member Gary Norris had asked the issue be put on Monday night’s agenda for a vote.

During a later discussion, however, Superintendent Charlotte Nasief said she had been in contact with a state official who was willing to sit down with the board and explain the entire process of a “nickel tax”, including the process of implementing such a tax and educating the public on what specifically the tax–which is matched with state funds–can be used for, which is construction projects, including facilities, only.

The board is expected to meet with a state official at the June work session to learn more about the issue and decide where to go from there.

Board chairperson Paula Key then gave the monthly personnel report, as follows:

* Certified hired: Kayla Kriek, head volleyball coach at CCHS; Ginger Davis, assistant volleyball coach at CCHS;

* Certified resignations: Emily Manning, Cheerleader coach at CCMS and Nicole Duvall, Cheerleader coach at CCMS;

* Classified hired: Marie Harris, cook/baker, district-wide; Charlie Flowers, head mechanic, transportation department; Lucas Abner, girls’ golf coach, CCHS;

* Classified resignations: Thomas Owens, head football coach, CCMS;

* Classified non-renewal: Mitch Latham, Adult Education Director, district-wide; Amy Garner, Family Educator, district-wide; Nicole Cross, Adult Education instructor, district-wide; Marissa Irwin, recruiter/family advocate, ECC; Angela Melton, instructional assistant, ECC; April Speck, Healthy Hometown Coordinator, district-wide.

* Substitute teachers: Lisa Walker, district-wide.

Following some discussion, the board approved the tentative 2018-19 fiscal year school budget of just under $14.9 million, which had been reviewed at a previous work session.

Finance Director Mike Reeves noted the final working budget would be presented in late summer or early fall, and reiterated that the budget projects are based upon the district taking the four percent compensating tax increase, which would generate approximately $70,000 of revenue for the district.

The board, on a motion by Jeff Sams, voted 4-1 to approve the tentative budget to be sent to the Department of Education for approval, with board members Key, Gary Norris and Goldie Stonecipher voting yes and board member Kevin Marcum voting no.

On a motion by Norris, the board approved First and Farmers National Bank as the Bank Depository for all school district accounts including all school activity accounts for the period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019 at a fixed 1.27 percent APY.

On a motion by Sams, the board voted to request permission from the Kentucky Department of Education to utilize $148,151 from Capital Outlay and Building funds for general operations expenses as permitted by the state biennial budget bill. Finance Director Reeves said those allowed funds this year would be used for school district insurance as well as bus maintenance.

The board then took up the issue of various school district insurance policies which they discussed with local insurance agent Mike Davis.

The board, on a motion by Marcum, approved Berkley Life & Health Insurance Company (Robert’s Insurance) as the provider for Student School Accident Insurance at a cost of approximately $46,926.30, which incudes a 10-year catastrophic benefit of $7.5 million per student effective for the 2018-19 school year, basically the same as the previous policy amount.

On a motion by Sams, the board approved Liberty Mutual Insurance for the 2018-19 school year: School Package Policy, Commercial Auto; Commercial Umbrella in the amount of $159,948; and approved the CFC for Cyber Liability coverage in the amount of $1,000. The annual premium will be a total of $3,248 plus mandated replacement cost values and/or additional vehicles.

The board also approved KEMI (Kentucky Employers Mutual Insurance) workmen’s compensation renewal for 2018-19 at a cost of $40,852.56.

Both Davis and Reeves noted that the overall insurance cost for the district, compared to the current year, only increased about $11,000 total–much less than many districts that saw anywhere from a 10 to 20 percent increase. Most of the local increase came as the result of added bus purchases.

On a motion by Marcum, the board voted to review and approve an agreement with Dixie Roofing, Inc. for the purpose of roof/gutter repairs at the middle school at an estimated cost of $25,000 under a BG and also approve an agreement with Sherman Carter Bernhart for professional services of the project at an estimated $3,300..50.

The board, on separate motions, also voted to renew agreements with One Call for the next school year at a cost of $1.19 per student; an agreement with Forward Edge Associates to provide drug testing for students and employees; and approve membership with the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative for the 2018-19 school year.

The board then voted to allow the district to pay for the newly created Child Abuse/Neglect Check from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in the amount of $10 per each new employee, substitute or volunteer.

The board also approved the following: certified evaluation plan; District Lau Plan (English Language Learners) initiative mandated by the state and the Skills for Youth Initiative grant of $114,000 recently awarded to the Area Technology Center.

Superintendent Charlotte Nasief noted that with the help of the grant funding, Campbellsville University is looking to offer dual credit classes at the Clinton College and Career Center this fall, as well as making it a training hub for welding students.

The board then declared a 1997 band cargo trailer and approximately 172 items of technology junk (considered scrap) as surplus property to be sold.

Director of Pupil Personnel then gave the attendance report for the ninth month, which ran from April 13 through May 10.

Overall, attendance was down from 95.54 the same month last year to 93.21. However, the high school did see an increase of one percent in attendance and Albany Elementary School had the highest ADA (Average Daily Attendance) for the month at 94.53 percent.

During the monthly superintendent’s report, Nasief again touched on the nickel tax and referred to a state official offering to work with the board on the issue, as well as help educate the public on what such a tax is used for, including putting together a needs assessment.

Nasief said the official was willing to come to the board’s next work session and recommended they take that step in implementing such a tax for facility construction.

The superintendent also noted there would be mental health counseling provided to students during the next school year and told board members she was working on an agreement with Albany Mayor Nicky Smith to contract for at least one SRO (School Resource Officer) for the city to provide next year.

During the comment period, Walton “Chip” Haddix and board member Kevin Marcum had a friendly exchange about the issue of taking the four percent allowed increase each year, with Marcum at one point saying the people in Frankfort (apparently referring to legislators) could help out with more funding for school districts.

The next board work session is scheduled for June 14 and next regular meeting for June 18, and both are open to the public.