Clinton County Board of Education held its monthly meeting Monday night, September 12. Not only were all board members present, but several other guests and spectators attended the approximate one hour and 20 minute session which saw a variety of issues discussed and/or acted upon.

The board first approved the 2011-12 District Health and Wellness Plan as presented by Food Services Director Teresa Boils. Boils has been working with Tyonia Sinclair, the coordinator of the new fitness program implemented this year via a grant and one of the goals in the plan is to increase students’ physical activity throughout the school year.

Bill Gittings, Energy Manager for the school district, then presented the Energy Management Action Plan for the upcoming year. He noted the district overall had saved over $6,300 last year and the goals for the coming year was a 10 percent energy cost reduction. The board, on a motion by Kevin Marcum, approved the action plan that lists some 11 total goals the district could implement to save on energy costs.

After approving minutes of two meetings, including the last regular meeting and special call meeting, the board granted a medical leave of absence to Brenda Orton through Oct. 30 and a family medical leave to Susan Pierce through Dec. 7. They also approved eight between meeting disbursements and voted to pay claims and bills.

Superintendent Mickey McFall then gave a lengthy monthly personnel report, as follows:

* Certified hired–Mike Beard, athletic director at CCHS and Erin Casada, Cross Country coach at Albany Elementary.

* Classified hired–Shannon Dishman and Lessica Guffey as aides at the middle school; Michael Reeves, Secretary II at the high school; Peggy Stinson, cook at the Early Childhood Center; Henry Pruitt and Joey Glidewell as assistant football coaches at CCMS; Ashley McWhorter, head cheer coach at CCMS; Greg Cummings, head boys’ and girls’ soccer coach at CCHS; and Dipesh Soma, Cross Country coach at the high school.

* Substitute teachers hired–Anthony Ballou, Jennifer Brown, Courtney Claywell and Tiffany Peters, districtwide; Kathy Hicks, CCHS; and Spencer Parrigin, CCMS and CCHS.

Following a presentation by Michael Whittenburg and Lorie Musk, including some questioning by board members, they eventually agreed to approve a districtwide fundraiser held by the high school senior class consisting of a carnival on Saturday, October 1 at CCHS.

The fundraiser, in which all schools and students can voluntarily participate, is to raise money for the planned 2012 Senior Class trip next year.

The board also voted to permit a waiver of policy pertaining to extra-curricular activities on Sunday in order for the CCHS girls’ basketball team to play in an event scheduled at Rupp Arena in Lexington during the 2011-12 season. Both the boys and girls teams (at separate dates) will leave the previous day to take part in this event and therefore it will be considered an overnight trip.

Dr. Shirley Brown then addressed the board about a concern she had with the policies dealing with extra-curricular activities, and excused tardiness clauses for students who are absent from school when they are participating in instructional activities such as piano lessons.

Brown said her daughter missed one hour of school per week for piano lessons and even though it was counted as an ‘excused’ tardy and her daughter was able to make up the classroom work, the students who have excused tardiness on their resume are not eligible for attendance rewards.

Dr. Brown said she felt by not being eligible for those rewards brings negative feelings to the student and added that not all students are athletically inclined, such as music students, etc. and requested the board not keep those students who miss for such things as piano or other types of instruction, from gaining a possible attendance reward.

Supt. McFall said the district did not devalue the arts and tried to recognize students in other extra-curricular activities other than just sports, although he said sports usually gain the most press coverage and recognition in most districts.

“We’ve got to be careful about setting a precedent where a student is absent from school but present on paper…we have to draw a line somewhere,” McFall said.

Following some discussion with the board as well as Director of Pupil Personnel Charlotte Bernard, they agreed to research policies regarding the issues discussed, both at the local and Department of Education levels and see if there were any other options available.

The last item of business on the agenda had been to enter into executive session for a hearing “which may lead to the discipline or expulsion of a student.” However, Supt. McFall said the student was ‘not available’ but the matter may be brought back up later.

It was learned that the student in question had apparently enrolled in another school district, bringing on comments from a parent who was apparently at the meeting in regards to the matter.

The parent, who stated her son was afraid to go back to school because of an incident that had occurred earlier, asked if the student would be allowed back and said it was convenient that (the other student) enrolled in another school the day of the proposed hearing.

The matter was then referred to Board Attorney Lindsey Bell when asked if the hearing could still be conducted if the student were to re-enroll next year. However, Bell advised, since the issue involved a school student (and a minor), the issue should not be discussed at all in open session and no further action was taken.

Prior to adjourning, DPP Bernard gave the attendance report for the first month of school, compared to the same month in 2010-11. Overall attendance was down by two-tenths of a percent, from 95.5 last year to 95.3, with the highest attendance being at AES with 96.25 attendance for the first month.

Also, thus far, enrollment is up by 28 students, from 1,707 enrolled the first month last year to 1,735 currently enrolled.

In other business, the board:

* Approved the Intrust Healthcare contract for the coming year.

* Approved the Indirect Cost Report for the 2011-12 school year. The Non-Restricted Indirect Cost Rate is 10.1; the Restricted Indirect Cost Rate is 0.67.

* Voted to establish an aide for special needs students at the Early Childhood Center.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for October 10 at 5 p.m. at the central office and is open to the public.