School Board Looks Over Budget
Members of the Jasper County School Board worked through and agreed on the FY19 budget additions, approved personnel action and heard from the Young Georgia Author winners during their work session and regular meetings for April.
The board has been working on the FY19 budget for the last several months and has culled through requests and priorities for the upcoming school year. Some of those priorities include:
•An additional coaching position (one full-time or two 49 percent people)
•Exterior Security for all schools
•Increase in supply of funds for Biotech
•Additional social worker (Ms. Gee)
•One EBD teacher
•Non-traditional hours for virtual school
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•One 50 percent art/music teacher for JCPS
•One 50 percent art/music teacher for WPES
•Materials for the JCMS Science lab
•Increase the Virtual School counselor to 49 percent
•Supplement for lead teachers to all be equal
•Give certificated personnel a $1,000 supplement
•Make all paraprofessionals eight hours a day
•Hire an additional maintenance helper for Perry Hyde
•Add a full-time bus driver for route #34
•Add extended day for a JCHS Science teacher
•Add 49 percent for a JCHS English teacher
•Extend stipend for EMR/EMT teacher
•Purchase a new check printer for finance
•Additional SGT training
•Five JCMS classrooms outfitted with technology and furniture
•A supplement to Perry Hyde for Construction Management not to exceed $13,000
The board’s goal, as recommended by Dr. Mike Newton, Superintendent, was to have budget requests total between $500,000 – $600,000 in order to have a balanced budget. The tentative figure for all of the above priorities is approx. $570,000.
The board did not include an assistant superintendent position, school resource officers, or additional Read 180 seats for the schools. The board was hopeful that the Read 180 seats will come from a grant in May 2018.
The board approved the following new hires, Charles McMahan, Kimberly Rabun and Allison Powers, teachers, WPES; Kristina Kramer, counselor, WPES; Victoria Ross and Jessica Tuberville, teachers/7th Grade, JCMS; Christina Hess, Teacher/SPED, JCHS; Jason McFarland, Teacher, JCHS; and Shirley Gee, Social Worker, Jasper County Board of Education.
Other new hires include Tina Peden, bus driver, and Brittany Davis, substitute custodian for Jasper County Schools. Barbara Whidby is retiring as a full time paraprofessional and will be re-hired as a part-time paraprofessional and substitute teacher for JCPS.
The board also approved the resignations of the following personnel, Leigh Wright, Kelly Maybin, Mark Richardson, Meagan Richardson, Veronica Bouhana, Justin Hamby, Michele Celani, Sandra Adkinson, Ashley Turner, Claudia Weathers, Rebecca Ammons Warren, and Sharon Hilliard.
There were several transfers approved for the FY19 year that include Christi McDaniel transferring from Teacher to PEC Teacher at WPES. Krystal Capes from paraprofessional at JCPS to JCHS. Erica Sands, from part-time paraprofessional to full-time at JCPS. Ethan Huff will transfer from Teacher to SPED teacher at JCHS.
Those retiring and their retirement dates include, Nanette Manning, Pre-K/Head-Start Director, Jasper County Primary School/Pre-K (effective 06/29/2018) and Rosa Gantt, Paraprofessional, Jasper County Primary School (effective 05/31/2018).
There was one termination approved, Susan Magnan, bus driver, effective 04/10/2018.
During the work session board members were able to meet all of the Young Georgia Author winners. Jasper County swept the primary division and had top finishes for both Washington Park and the Middle School.
Board members heard several of the student’s read their submissions and others just tell what their stories were about. One winner, Faraday Harty, was videoed and her reading played for the board. Other winners that the board heard from included Willow Hammond, Leigha Perkins, Maiden Jordan, and Arianna Autrey.
During the business meeting Tuesday the board approved:
The FY19 Workman’s Compensation and Risk Management plan through GSBA.
Overnight field trips, and school fundraisers.
The board will have three public hearings on the FY19 budget. The dates are June 19, at 11 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. The last of the 3 hearings will be July 11, 2018 at 6 p.m.
