School Board Approves Grading Procedures
Seniors in the Jasper County Charter School System were recognized Tuesday and Wednesday of this week as school officials visited each home to put a sign in the yards where the seniors live.
The signs will likely remain until graduation, at least, which is now set for Friday, July 24, at 7:30 p.m.
School officials have also set dates for other senior activities. The prom will be the week before graduation, on July 18. A senior breakfast is scheduled for July 23 with graduation practice to follow. A baccalaureate service is scheduled for Sunday, July 12, at 2:30 p.m. at Monticello Baptist Church.
Graduation will, hopefully, be held at the new athletic complex at Jasper County High School which is nearing completion.
At Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, the board approved final grading procedures for seniors and the rest of the students. Students will be given credit for all work completed through the end of the third nine weeks, and their grades will not go lower than that. The grades can be improved, though, based on what the students have done during distance learning.
The only students who will be retained are those who were already at risk when the distance learning began, and conversations have already been held with them and their parents, throughout the system.
Also at Tuesday’s board meeting, Board Members voted to enter an intergovernmental agreement with Foothills Charter High School. Board members heard a presentation from Foothills Superintendent Dr. Sherrie Gibney-Sherman at a previous board meeting. Staff had worked with Foothills, and the county is now ready to begin the partnership. Foothills serves student that would probably not complete the regular school curriculum. Its goal is to help these students earn a high school diploma.
Mrs. Carmen Garland spoke to the board about the system’s induction program for beginning teachers. She shared some information about teacher retention, and said she fervently feels this is needed and will help. The program basically gives support to beginning teachers in the first three years of their career.
Mr. Garland shared some preliminary budget numbers with board members. He had several scenarios, but in each the per pupil spending remains the same. He said he took this year’s budget figures and calculated the per student cost, then raised that number enough to cover the growth in new students.
He pointed out that the digest shows (this year) $55,000+ from the Joint Development Authority, and that the state assumes the school gets a portion of that, which it does not. Therefore the state basically punishes the school system as it counts it as local income which it is not. That number is expected to be $99,000+ next year, and go up each subsequent year.
In other action at Tuesday’s meeting, board members:
•Heard from David Dyer, Steve Jordan and Carl Pennamon about a Facebook grant for the schools. (See related story.)
•Approved a Speech Language Pathologist Salary Schedule, and an agreement with AMN Healthcare who will provide a speech pathologist if the system can’t hire one. It would be less expensive to hire a person than to contract with the firm, but the system may not have a choice.
•Learned the county received some $68,221,232 in lottery proceeds, counting HOPE dollars, Pre-kindergarten funds, and capital outlay.
•Approved several personnel moves including the resignations of Jerri James and Stephanie Stanley; the transfer of Arvel Buck fromJasper County Middle School (JCMS) to Washington Park Elementary School (WPES); Alan Shurling, from Jasper County High School to JCMS Eddie Roberts from JCMS to system Athletic Director/Custodial Supervisor; and Jeanna Smith from WPES to Jasper County Primary School (JCPS).
Also, board members approved the retirement of Roxanna Cargile, bus dariver, and Marjorie Jackson, bus driver/transportation secretary. There were two non-renewals—Josh Stone and Brooke Smith, teachers.
