ccboe sealBOARD BULLETIN~March 2009
March 10, 2009
An unofficial summary of discussions, presentations, and actions of the Columbia County Board of Education.

BOE Group

Present were Superintendent Charles R. Nagle, Chairman Regina Buccafusco, Vice-Chairman Mike Sleeper, Mickie Blackburn, and Roxanne Whitaker.  Reverend Cynthia Taylor from Church of the Holy Comforter conducted the invocation.
SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS 
a. Fort Gordon Local Action Plan and Presentation
(view plan)
b. Evans Middle School Academic Bowl Team (photo)
  
BOARD COMMENTS
Mr. Nagle expressed appreciation to the Board for their work and dedication to students.  The Board thanked the administrators, staff, and Ms. Sabrina Parks and her Evans High Culinary Arts Team, for the Board Member Appreciation Reception.  Also, the Board congratulated Rachael Cundey, Columbia County Spelling Bee Winner, for winning the Regional Spelling Bee. Rachael will head to Washington, D.C. in May.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
There was no public participation at this BOE meeting.
BOARD ITEMS
The Board selected Wayne Bridges as the delegate and Michael Sleeper as the alternate for the 2009 GSBA Summer Assembly.
BOARD APPROVALS
Consent Items.  The Board gave tentative approval of consent items: minutes of 01/27/09, 02/6/09, and 02/20/09,  January financials, employee travel, fundraisers, partnerships, gifts and donations, and program/camp employee requests.  The Board gave final approval for a request to the State Board of Education for a variance of  the Georgia High School Graduation Requirement. Also, the Board adopted a resolution supporting the financial commitment to National Board Certified Teachers (view resolution).

Budget Amendments.  The Board gave final approval to Budget Transfer No. 7 - To transfer Evans High clinic supplies to principal supplies.

Textbook Adoption - K-8 Language Arts.  Mrs. Sherman reviewed details of the process of grades K-5 textbook adoption that meets the Georgia Performance Standards and will help with Tier 2 interventions. Dr. Lindsay reviewed details of the process of grades 6-8 textbook adoption that meets the Georgia Performance Standards.  The Board gave tentative approval for SRA's Imagine It!a research based comprehensive language arts program that offers a strong vocabulary component for grades K-5 and the Glencoe series that offers a literature series (Georgia Treasures), as wells as a grammar and composition series (Writer's Choice) for grades 6-8. Mr. Nagle  reminded the Board that the textbook adoption will be included in the 2009-2010 budget.

Board Policies.  The Board gave final approval to the following policies: Policy GBKA - Professional Personnel Layoff; Policy GBA (1) Personnel Compensation Guides; and GBM - Transfer of Professional Personnel..  The Board gave tentative approval to the following policies: Policy GCKA - Layoff of Auxiliary Personnel; and Policy JQKA - Foreign Exchange Students.  All BOE policies can be viewed by going to: http://www.ccboe.net/boe/policies/home.html

Non-Certified Personnel Allocations 2009-2010. Mr. Nagle reviewed the non-certified personnel allocations for 2009-2010.  Based on budget discussions at the Board's Retreat, reductions were shown by individual schools with a total reduction of 60 full-time positions.  Primarily, reductions were accomplished by increasing class sizes for grades K-2 and planning for normal attrition in special education programs.  Other areas impacted with reductions are: technology support at the school level, vocational paraprofessionals, and clerical aides in grades 6-8.   Mr. Nagle emphasized that the personnel allocations are preliminary "work in progress" and will not be final until the state budget information is released by the state. The Board gave final approval for the non-certified personnel allocations for 2009-2010.

Certified Personnel Allocations 2009-2010. Mr. Nagle reviewed the certified personnel allocations for 2009-2010.  Based on changes to class sizes, reductions were shown primarily at the elementary level with a total reduction of 45 full-time positions. Mr. Nagle expressed confidence that most of the reductions will occur through attrition.  Mr. Nagle is committed to protecting full-time teachers. Mr. Nagle recommended that contracts be issued for all full-time teachers and that the four or five displaced teachers be retained as contingency for short-term substitutes and/or future growth. The Board gave final approval for the certified personnel allocations for 2009-2010.
BUILDING PROGRAM
Project Update.  Mr. Nagle updated the Board on the various building projects going on within the county: re-roofing projects at EES (view progress), MES, HMS, and LHS (view progress); and Grovetown High School on Chamblin Road (view progress). The Board approved Change Order No. 1 for Lakeside High Roofing Project ($21,500) to add roof drain inserts.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT/ANNOUNCEMENTS
Discussion of Procedure KG- Lease of Facilities.    Mr. Nagle reported that Procedure KG - will be updated to reflect an increase in utility and maintenance fees for school rentals (view fees).
 
Discussion of Inclement Weather Date. Mr. Nagle recommended that the Board forgive the day (3/2) for students and require employees to make up day or use annual leave.
 
Important Dates. Mr. Nagle reminded the Board of a few dates:
      ~ Board Member Appreciation Week, March 9-13
      ~ Special Olympics, Greenbrier High, March 20, 10:00am
PERSONNEL RECOMMENDATIONS
On the recommendations of Superintendent Nagle, the personnel recommendations were approved as presented.

NEXT MEETING: The next scheduled Board meeting will be a Study Session on March 24 at the Board of Education Office in Evans at 5:30pm.

   
Columbia County Board of Education | 4781 Hereford Farm Road | Evans | GA | 30809