The Clinton County Board of Education held its regular meeting Monday night, January 20, at the board office, with all board members present, as well as Superintendent Tim Parson and the board attorney.

Also in attendance were several students, parents, school administrators, teachers and at least one general public visitor.

Monday night’s meeting covered a wide array of presentations, including recognition of a life-saving effort by a district teacher, as well as the recognition of the school board members themselves, who were cited for their efforts to be the school district’s governing body, as a part of January School Board Member recognition month.

At one instance early in the meeting, a teacher from the middle school, Amanda Moons, was recognized and honored for her efforts earlier this month in saving the life of a student.

Parson explained, before presenting Moons with a Certificate of Appreciation, that she had determined a student at the Clinton County Middle School, where she teaches, was choking on some food, and she cleared the student’s throat by performing the Heimlich maneuver on the student.

“Saving the life of a child – that’s a pretty important thing, isn’t it?” Parson said. “Usually we save them in the long run, but this time we saved them on the day of, and that’s a big thing.”

Clinton County Judge Executive Ricky Craig was on hand to sign a proclamation declaring January as School Board Member Appreciation Month in Clinton County.

Albany Mayor Lyle Pierce joined the group at the proclamation signing for a celebratory photo op at the conclusion of the proclamation signing event.

Later in the meeting, Parson presented each board member with a We Over Me shirt and an embroidered Clinton County Schools jacket, also in recognition of this being School Board Member Appreciation Month.

Craig also opened the meeting, at the invitation of Superintendent Parson, with an opening prayer.

The board also recognized several Clinton County High School students for their academic achievements in successfully meeting the National Benchmark in all four content areas of the ACT and SAT tests.

Those students who were cited by Parson and the board were: Loren Little, Makenzie Cope, Sarah Cross, Kaitlynn Jones, Jimmy Mazarlegos, Gracie Melton, Moriah Moons, Elijah Rains, Ben Tallent, Nathan Brown, Autumn McCutchen, Conner Moreland and Abbi Young.

During his Superintendent’s Report, Parson noted that he was working on several new programs, including a way to honor community volunteers for their efforts to help in a number of ways in boosting schools and students both academically and in athletics.

He also noted that he had sent a request out to staff and faculty members asking about desired employment school location changes they might be desiring in the next (2020-21) school year as well as any plans of staff and teachers about retirement for the next year.

He noted that several had responded to his inquiry already with their plans and requests and he expected more in the next few days.

Also during the Superintendent’s Report, Parson noted that in the area of energy development, changes would be forthcoming at the schools and in particular at Albany Elementary School regarding the installation of new lighting that was designed to save the district energy costs.

He also said that members of his staff would be making a trip to Atlanta, Georgia to tour an academy there that was known for its “forward thinking” agenda in the area of education, adding that he had toured the academy in the past and it had made a huge impact on his own views of education teaching techniques, saying the tour “transformed the way I saw learning.”

Director of Pupil Personnel Julie York presented her monthly report on student attendance for the fifth month of the 2020-21 school year.

York noted that once again the efforts by school and district staff to keep student attendance rates up had paid off, noting that compared to the fifth month of the previous year, attendance had once again improved this year, with an attendance rate across the district of 94.28 percent compared to 93.64 percent during the same time frame last year.

She also noted that the highest average daily attendance (ADA) was once again achieved by Albany Elementary School with 95.09 percent.

York said that attendance improvement programs continued to be implemented, including road signs being placed near the entrance of monthly winning schools and promises of allowing students to “rip away” signs from other schools if they are successful in surpassing a previously top ranked facility.

Food Services Director Paulette Brinley then addressed the board with her report of efforts to continue to offer students foods during school hours that were both enticing to the student, while at the same time being nutritious and falling within the USDA guidelines.

She summarized the guidelines that her department fell under for each meal offered, as well as for snacks offered to students, noting that she was constantly researching new foods and preparations techniques that would keep the students well fed and looking forward to the offerings during eating breaks.

Following her presentation, she presented the board members with a sampling bag of the foods that were offered to the students, with a focus on some of the new offerings during snack breaks.

Board member Kevin Marcum offered Brinley praise in the job she was doing in balancing the wants of the students with the nutrition guidelines that she and her staff were charged with following.

Several other items of business were also dealt with and all passed by unanimous vote, including motions to: Approve a contract to hire Winter Huff as Board Attorney; Accept a grant from Kentucky Department of Eduction in the amount of $22,805 for facilities construction assistance; Approve non-resident student contracts with Barren and Cumberland counties; Approve the calendar for the 2020-2021 school year (a review article regarding that new calendar will appear in a future edition of the Clinton County News); Approve a Waiver for Charter Schools in Clinton County; Approve a training waiver application on behalf of the school board to the Kentucky School Board Association.

Following an invitation to hear comments from the public by board chairperson Leslie Stockton, which resulted in no one coming forward with comments or questions, the meeting was adjourned some 30 minutes after being called to order.

Clinton County Middle School teacher Amanda Moons was recognized Monday night by Clinton County Superintendent Tim Parson. Moons recently noticed a student at CCMS choking on some food and successfully performed the Heimlich manuever on the student to clear the food from her throat. Credited with the life saving move, Parson said of Moons: “Usually we save them in the long run, but this time we saved them on the day of, and that’s a big thing.”

In recognition of January being School Board Member Recognition Month, Clinton County School Board Members were recognized at Monday’s meeting, including witnessing a proclamation being signed by Clinton County Judge/Executive Ricky Craig. Pictured above after the proclamation signing ceremony are, from left to right: Superintendent Tim Parson, member Kevin Marcum, member Sue Irwin, member Bobbi Bair, Albany Mayor Lyle Pierce, Clinton Judge/Executive Craig, member Gary Norris, member Leslie Stockton.

Several students were recognized Monday night for having met the National Benchmark in all four content areas of the ACT and SAT tests. The students who were present at Monday’s meeting are pictured above, along with Superintendent Parson are, from left to right: Sarah Cross, Makenzie Cope, Gracie Melton , Elijah Rains (brother is pictured), Autumn McCutchen and Abbi Young.