An unofficial summary of discussions, presentations, and actions of the Columbia County Board of Education

September` 2005

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
Mr. Lee Muns presented to the Board information about the Master Teacher Program and the next meeting held at ASU. 
Ms. Karen O'Gorman, Ms.  Margaret Myers and Ms. Gilmore all expressed concerns over the early start date for the school calendar.  Ms. O'Gorman issued a survey and received 240 results in favor of a change to the calendar start date. 
Ms. Tamara Tate, a parent at Blue Ridge Elementary expressed concern with the kindergarten lunch schedule and that kindergarteners are eating too late.

BOARD ITEMS:
The Board asked Mr. Price to provide a report of the number of incidents for this school year when the  Sheriff's Department was called in for incidents that were drug related.

BOARD APPROVALS
Consent Items.  The Board gave final approval of consent items: minutes of 7/26/05, 7/29/05, and 8/09/05,  July financials, employee travel, fundraisers, gifts and donations, athletic camps, and school/business partnerships.
Budget Amendments/Transfers. The Board gave final approval to the following General Fund or Special Revenue Budget Amendments/Transfers:  Budget Transfer No. 2 - Transfer funds for Evans Middle School Special Board School Improvement Grant; Budget Amendment No. 6 - Budget the Vocational Professional Development Grant and pay membership to the GVSDC ($5,336); Budget Amendment No. 7 - Budget the difference in Vocational Youth Apprenticeship Grant ($4,800);  Budget Amendment No. 8 - Budget the difference in the Vocational High Schools That Work Grant. ($2,000); Budget Amendment No. 9 - Pay the matching portion of the state health insurance for Spanish teachers at Stevens Creek Elementary ($20,877);
Contract Bid Awards. The Board gave final approval for cafeteria/kitchen equipment and awarded the contract to Atlanta Fixture and Sales at a total price of $173,652.
Incentive Proposal for Grant Applications.   Stevens Creek Elementary requested that the Board match funds that have been secured through federal, state, or private funded grants and awarded to individual schools.   The Board gave tentative approval to match grants awarded to schools dollar for dollar up to a maximum of $5,000 per school in one year.  Schools awarded the incentive grant will be required to utilize Board matched funds by the end of the school year.
Proposal for Collaborative Planning.  The Board gave tentative approval for a proposal for collaborative planning.  This alternative proposal would eliminate early release by utilizing paraprofessionals and substitute teachers while teachers meet in two hour intervals across grade levels.

BUILDING PROGRAM
Project Update.   Mr. Price updated the Board on the various building projects going on within the county: painting at  Evans High, stage additions at EES and NCE, EHS Re-roof/HVAC, Evans Middle (projected completion date of 7/1/06, and the New Administration Building (projected completion date 5/17/06).
2007 Capital Outlay Project Application.  Mr. Price reviewed with the Board the application for 2007 Capital Outlay.  Included in the application is the plan for a 42-classroom, new middle school in the area of Blackstone Camp Road at a projected cost of $14,000,000 (the state is projected to fund $6,000,000 of the total cost with the remaining balance funded with local dollars).

SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
High School Career Centers.  Debra Sue Brown, EHS career specialist, reported to the Board an overview on the high school career centers and the activities at each grade level.
2005 SAT results.  Mr. Price reported to the Board the SAT results for Columbia County Students. Over 79% of our students have taken the SAT with a system total of 1032. (Verbal=513;Math=519).  The SAT scores for students who reported themselves in the top 10% was 1227 (Verbal=607;Math=620).
Employees Eligible for Retirement.  A report from the Teachers Retirement System indicated that 6% of our teachers and 25% of our principals are eligible to retire in the next five years.
Opening of School. Mr. Price reported to the Board that the 20 day enrollment for our system is 20,936 students with a growth of 782 students over last year.  This has been the most reported gain of students in one year since early 1990/1991.
Parental Survey on School Calendar.  Mr. Price recommended that the Board honor the current calendars adopted through 2007-2008 unless the state legislature requires different parameters for public school systems after the next legislative session.  The Board asked Mr. Price to assemble a calendar committee to review 2008-2009 and any future calendars.
Technology Audit.  Mr. Price presented the four vendor bids received for the technology audit.  Because of the range of bids ($11,000 to $215,000), Mr. Price requested the Board review the bids and provide direction at the next BOE meeting.

PERSONNEL RECOMMENDATIONS
On the recommendations of Superintendent Price, the personnel recommendations were approved as presented.  Congratulations to Peggy Stoming, 1/2 time assistant principal at Greenbrier Middle.