Clinton County Board of Education closed out its meeting schedule Monday evening, December 17 with four of five members present. It followed a work session the previous Thursday in which newest member, Sue Irwin, served in her first official meeting.

The business portion of the meeting was brief, lasting only about 20 minutes. However, that was followed by another “pair” of closed, separate, sessions on student discipline issues.

The board first approved several consent items, including approving between meeting disbursements, paying claims and bills, and approving several school related trips.

Following the monthly finance report from Finance Director Mike Reeves, Board Chairperson Paula Key gave the monthly personnel report, as follows:

* Leave of Absence: James Davis, November 6 through December 3, 2018; Janet Lovel, extended leave December 24, 2018 through January 31, 2019.

* Certified resignations: Mickey McFall, teacher at CCHS; James Davis, Director of the Alternative School.

* Certified hired: James Michael Guffey, teacher at the high school and Travis Gregory, teacher at the middle school.

* Classified resignation: Kerri McDaniel, Food Service Assistant II, district-wide.

* Classified hired: Kerri McDaniel and Celesta Shearer, bus drivers; Palma Conner, full-time Food Service Assistant II; Leslie Groce, cook/baker, district-wide.

* Substitute teachers: Sandra Ferguson, ECC and Albany Elementary and Jordan Davis, district-wide.

The board then briefly discussed the tentative 2019-20 year school calendar, which was approved by unanimous vote following a motion to accept by board member Kevin Marcum.

Director of Pupil Personnel Julie York had reviewed the proposed calender at last week’s work session, with the one major change being the timing of the Fall break.

For the past several years, the break has coincided with the Foothills Festival weekend, however, it did not coincide with most area and state school district breaks, which are held a week or two earlier.

York said a committee had met several times and discussed the proposed change at length, including getting as much input as possible from both the faculty and public. She noted the public was split about 50/50 on the proposed change while most faculty members were about 75/25 in favor of moving the break up a couple of weeks.

In 2019, Fall break for Clinton students will be the first full week of October, the 7th through the 11th, rather than the usual third week of the month.

The rest of the calendar is primarily unchanged from the current 2018-19 year, with the first class day for students scheduled for August 8 and the last instructional day on May 14.

After approving the tentative calendar for the school district, the board also approved the Foothills Academy school year calendar for 2019-20.

They also set the 2019 calendar year board meeting schedule, which includes work sessions, the regular meetings, primarily the second Thursday (sometimes third) for work sessions and third Monday for regular meetings.

The only change will be that all meetings, both work sessions and regular meetings, will begin at 5 p.m. In the past, work sessions had been held at 4:30 p.m. and business meetings at 5 p.m.

The board then voted to approve a revised BG-1 for the Clinton County High School tennis court renovation in the amount of $80,000, which is non-committal on the part of the board, and would be funded from the general funds. The move will allow the district to take bids on the renovation project prior to the start of next year’s tennis season.

After approving the annual Comprehensive District Improvement Plan, DPP York had some good news pertaining to student attendance thusfar this school year.

Attendance for the fourth month of school, which ran from October 31 through November 29, showed overall attendance up by some 1.44 percent, at 94 percent even, compared to 92.56 the same month a year ago.

All schools attendance rates were up for the month, and almost 92 percent (91.80) at the high school.

The highest ADA (average daily attendance) for the month was at Albany Elementary, with a 95.54 percent rate, with the Early Childhood Center having the most improved rate for the month, at 94.95 percent.

Superintendent Charlotte Nasief, during her monthly report, noted Brandon Pharis had conducted a Cultural Audit in the school district to help find ways to improve in that area and results would be announced, probably in January.

Under public comments, Walton “Chip” Haddix said he had spoken with both Gov. Matt Bevin and State Sen. Max Wise pertaining to whether the state would continue to match the “nickel” tax revenue for school construction projects after this year.

Without going into any details, Haddix again urged the district to act on imposing such a tax now to generate enough revenue to eventually construct a new high school.

Following the business portion of the meeting, the board entered into two separate executive sessions, pursuant to KRS 61.810 (1) (f), for a hearing “which may lead to the discipline or expulsion of a student.”

No official actions were announced on either situation upon the board’s return to open session due to the matter pertaining to the students being juveniles.

The next school board work session is scheduled for Thursday, January 17 and next regular business meeting Monday, January 21, both at 5 p.m. at the Central Offices and both are open to the general public.