Clinton County Board of Education held its regular business meeting four days early, meeting last Thursday, March 14 with all four active members on hand.

The board usually has a work session on the second Thursday, but due to a light agenda, the meeting and work session was combined, with the regular meeting scheduled for March 18 being canceled.

At a point late in the meeting, board member and Vice Chairman Gary Norris presented into the record an email correspondence he reported to be between Jamestown attorney Jeff Hoover, and Walton “Chip” Haddix pertaining to the board attorney position.

In that correspondence, Haddix had asked Hoover if he would consider that position, noting that Angie Capps has resigned “but will serve until a new one is hired.”

A copy of the email was given to the Clinton County News as a part of the meeting’s official material, and in a portion of the correspondence that wasn’t publicly read by Norris, Haddix went on to explain his proposal further.

Haddix, who has been a long time proponent of the Nickel Tax, stated in the email that if Hoover would agree to accepting the position, he would be able to “get Gary Norris to recommend hiring you.”

No action on the matter was taken.

During the regular meeting, the board first recognized recent retiree Tammy Denney who has been with the school district in various capacities for the past 27 years.

The board then voted to pay claims and bills, approved between meeting disbursements and two school related student trips.

Board chairman Kevin Marcum then gave the monthly personnel report, as follows:

* Leave of absence: extended leave for Janet Lovell through July 1.

* Certified hired: Ashley Hardin, assistant volleyball coach at CCMS.

* Certified resignations: Barbara Thurman, Food Service Assistant II; Adrian Smith, assistant baseball coach at CCMS; Laurie Cross, assistant softball coach at CCMS; Jennifer Pierce, resignation due to job abandonment–Food Service Assistant II; Kaitlyn Groce, Youth Service Center clerical assistant at CCMS.

* Classified hired: Brittany Talbott, Library Media Clerk at CCMS; Edna Johnson, Food Service assistant II; Kaitlyn Groce, Family Resource Center Coordinator at the Early Childhood Center and Albany Elementary School.

* Classified retired: Glenn Tuggle, custodian at CCMS effective June 30.

* Substitute teachers: Martina Brown, Ansley Nelson, Jarred Wallace, and Emily Gray, all district-wide.

Director of Pupil Personnel Julie York then gave the monthly attendance report for the seventh month of school, which ran from February 6 through March 6.

For the seventh consecutive month, compared to the same month the previous year, attendance was again up, this month by 1.15 percentage points ADA (average daily attendance.)

Attendance for the month was 91.87 ADA compared to 90.72 for the same month a year ago and was up for the same month at all four schools.

The school with both the highest attendance rate (93.32) as well as most improved attendance was the Early Childhood Center.

Board chairman Kevin Marcum then appointed himself as a board member representative to serve on the screening committee for the Superintendent Search.

The board then made six appointments to serve on the Recreation/Park Board with all terms expiring in 2022. Those included the reappointments of Paula Little and Gary Guffey and new members Todd Messer, Chris Marlow, Nicky Smith and Jeff Pharis.

The board approved, on a motion by Sue Irwin, the Clinton County High School Cheerleaders Spirit Week fundraiser to be conducted the week of April 15-19 to benefit Relay For Life.

On a motion by board member Bobbi Ann Bair, the board voted to enter into executive session to discuss pending or possible litigation with no action being taken upon returning to closed session.

After the agenda was approved, the meeting was adjourned.