School Board O.K.s Personnel Changes

The Jasper County School Board met in a work session Tuesday, approving numerous personnel changes, hearing a positive Covid-19 report, and handling several items of business.

Staff at Jasper County schools will receive the Covid-19 vaccination this week, Supt. Kenny Garland reported, with nearly 200 members signed up. That news is really good coming on top of last week’s Covid report which showed no new cases in the school system.

The board heard a presentation from Rick Higginbotham, a retired superintendent from Elberton, with ABM who says they can help with infrastructure improvements without costing the school system any money. The funding comes from energy savings, he said.

Board members then reviewed facility/infrastructure upgrades currently in the works, and agreed to put out a request for qualifications (RFQ) for architects for those services requiring architectural services.

Board members spent some time discussing online learning and determining what platforms would be available for next school year. They agreed that the system will offer virtual learning through the virtual academy or in-person learning at the school, taking away the current online option that is requiring several teachers for the 335 students who chose online learning during the pandemic.

Supt. Garland said he planned to contact each of those families taking part in online learning by May 15 to learn what their intentions are for next school year. He said he has charged the high school with having schedules ready by June 1, so the new principal will not have to deal with that. He said he expects to have the name of the candidate for high school principal at next week’s business meeting.

Board members heard from Chairman Bill Schilling about the broadband initiative by Central Georgia EMC, and that the county commission has asked the school to help fund a portion of it to move Jasper County closer to the front of the line to receive the broadband. Supt. Garland said he wanted to sit down with the commissioners and discuss this possibility as well as the Stanton Springs money.

Currently the county receives money from the Joint Development Authority’s Stanton Springs development. That money is not shared with the school, but the state treats the school as if it gets it because it is part of the tax digest. So basically the school is punished for the county getting the money. The school would like to receive a share of those proceeds.

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After an hour long executive session for personnel, the board agreed to the following personnel changes:

•James Murdock, teacher, Jasper County High School (JCHS).

• Aleissa Caldwell, teacher, JCHS.

•Erin McRea, teacher, Jasper County Middle School (JCMS).

•Stacy Isler, teacher, Washington Park Elementary School (WPES).

•Alicia Peek, teacher, WPES.

•Amy Paul, teacher, Jasper County Primary School (JCPS).

•Kimberly Sharp, teacher, JCHS.

•Cheryl Gerber, teacher, WPES.

All the above are effective August 3, 2021. Other new hires include:

•Brittany Hamlin, custodian, JCPS.

•Kevin Crabb, substitute teacher, Jasper County Board of Education.

•Jim Schulte, teacher, JCMS.

Resignations effective the end of the school year include:

•Trish Akin, teacher, JCPS.

•Alan Shurling, teacher, JCHS.

•Justin LeSuer, teacher, JCHS.

•Madelyn Gore, teacher, JCPS.

Randolph Williams, custodian, WPES, resigned the beginning of the month and Christina Hess, teacher, has resigned effective May 8.

Transfers include:

•Jerome Jones, custodian, transfer from JCHS Athletic Facilities to JCPS.

•Zach Houston, transfer from teacher at JCMS to teacher at JCHS.

•Mary Beatty, custodian, transfer from JCPS JCHS Athletics Facilities.

•Tiffany Baker, custodian, transfer from JCPS to WPES.

•Nikole Sirmans, teacher, transfer from WPES to Jasper County Middle School (JCMS)

•Christina Smith, teacher, transfer from WPES to JCPS.

•Shannon Moore, teacher, transfer from JCPS to WPES.

•Robert Strong, teacher, transfer from JCMS to JCHS.

•Stephanie Hayslip, teacher, transfer from JCMS to Instructional Coach at JCMS.

The following retirements were approved:

•Alicia Lindsey, teacher, JCPS.

•Frank Altschul, teacher, JCHS.

•Nancy Mason, Bookkeeper-SN/PreK/HdS, Jasper County Board of Education.

•Karen Taylor, teacher, WPES