Superintendent’s Contract Is Extended
Superintendent Mike Newton will remain superintendent until at least June 2019, after he received an evaluation Tuesday evening and a contract extension until June 2019.
The action came after a more than two hour closed session where board members worked on the evaluation and considered other personnel issues as well. Personnel who were hired include:
•Darryl Wynn, substitute bus monitor, Jasper County Transportation Department.
•Ida Minter, substitute bus monitor, Jasper County Transportation Department.
•Marcia Hopper, teacher (part-time), Jasper County Virtual Academy.
•David Aldridge, computer facilitator, Jasper County High School.
In addition, the board voted to give several more employees seven more days of annual leave. They include Dan Kelley, Jerry Williams, Ty Snyder, RaNae Fendley, Kristie Brooks, Anne Harrison, Perry Hyde, and Felicia Holman. The board had voted previously to give principals an additional seven days, and these people will also get the additional days off.
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Board members and Supt. Newton spent considerable time discussing the Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP). The plan is posted on the system’s webpage.
The first page gives a snapshot of what is being done to measure improvement, and then the other pages offer supporting documents. The plan talks about measuring student achievement and success, organizational and operational processes, and stakeholder engagement and support.
At the beginning of the meeting, the board heard from Johnny Sue Moore and Janna Fowler with the high school’s School Governance Team (SGT). They talked about the concerns of when days would be made up that were missed recently because of Tropical Storm Irma, and discussed how they had resolved a concern about economics, and the week being missed in that class. They want to know more about the upcoming proposed Education Local Option Sales Tax (ELOST) which will go before voters next May. They also mentioned some issues of concern, such as the outdated phone system at the high school, and the lack of panic buttons in some areas.
Board members also received written reports from the SGTs at each of the schools. The board hears from one SGT each month, but gets reports from all monthly.
Perry Hyde showed board members the schedule for renovations at Jasper County Middle School. The plan is to spend five to six weeks per wing to renovate the whole building. An eight-classroom modular unit will be brought in for the time renovations take place, with students flowing in and out of it as the wings are completed. Work will begin November 1, and is designed to be complete by July 20.
The board was given a policy to review concerning employee leave and absences. It will be on the table for 30 days, then the board will vote on it either like it reads or with revisions.
In other action at Tuesday’s meeting, board members
•Approved numerous fund raiser requests.
•Approved several use of facilities requests.
•Approved overnight field trips.
Agreed to reschedule the October business meeting from Tuesday, Oct. 17 to Monday, Oct. 16. There will also be a work session on Thursday, Oct. 12. Meetings now begin at 6 p.m.
